Murder, deceit and the backdrop of World War II frame Jean-Paul Rappeneau's latest release, "Bon Voyage." This fast-paced romp opens when Fr?d?ric Auger (Gr?gori Derang?re) receives a phone call from his former fling Viviane Denvert (Isabelle Adjani). In her hotel room, to his surprise, he finds that he is not only still in love with the now-famous actress, but there is also a dead body.
He eventually goes to jail for the crime he did not know she committed, and escapes when the Germans are about to invade Paris. With his jailmate Raoul (Yvan Attal), he makes his way to Bordeaux and the H?tel Splendide, where Parisian well-to-dos come for respite from the stress of invasion. On the way there, Gr?gori meets the pretty Camille (Virginie Ledoyen) who, with her mentor Professor Kopolski (Jean-Marc Stehle), is trying to sneak hard water used to make hydrogen bombs to England so that it does not fall into German hands. Things at the H?tel Splendide become farcical when Viviane's politician boyfriend Jean-Etienne Beaufort (G?rard Depardieu) and a German spy (Peter Coyote) fall into the mix.
Among other things, Gr?gori is running from authorities as a convict, trying to reconcile his love for Viviane, and making sure Camille and Kopolski are safe. It is through a mix of luck and fortune that each character fulfills his or her duty to France, or at least to the film. Even with the motley characters, by the end, we are still invested in every one of them.
The tone of the movie has a duality between this playful charade and the seriousness of France in wartime. Much of it is very campy, parodying films from the '40s and '50s involving damsels in distress and sensitive weaponry falling into the wrong hands. But unlike some of those films, it gradually and convincingly becomes more serious. The hardships of war are lost on the na?ve upper-class that has descended on the H?tel Splendide. But the movie has a hopefulness about it, either stemming from the gift of hindsight or in a trust of people and good luck.
The beauty of the movie is that Rappeneu takes a familiar storyline and pairs it with elements such as modern camera angles and great dialogue. The movie is smart, able to carry a wonderfully complex string of characters and invest enough time and veneration in them all. It is cast perfectly, especially Adjani and Attal, who steals his scenes with charisma. And who doesn't love G?rard Depardieu? The actor is, perhaps unfortunately, best known for his role in "My Father, the Hero."
If you're in the mood for a good romp with an unexpected but very fitting ending, "Bon Voyage" will be smooth sailing.
