Micmacs (12A)

Jean-Pierre Jeunet burst onto the international scene with the fantastical Delicatessen, and then cemented his reputation as one of France’s most beloved exports with the whimsical Amélie. Unlike his last film, A Very Long Engagement, Micmacs is very much rooted in contemporary culture, poking fun at the serious subject of the arms business, and celebrating the current trend of mend-and-make-do culture.

Bazil (Dany Boon) has had his share of bad luck. As a child, his bomb disposal expert father, is killed by a land mine. As an adult, he is accidentally shot in the back of the head during a drive-by shooting. When he is discharged from hospital, with the bullet still lodged in his brain, Bazil wanders the streets of Paris, homeless and jobless, until he meets Slammer, who invites him to live at Micmacs, a hidden shelter made entirely from recycled junk. For the first time, Bazil feels part of a family, and, with the help of the motley crew living at Micmacs, he decides to plan his revenge against the company that made the landmine which killed his father, and the company that made the bullet in his head.

One of France's most popular stars, comedian Dany Boon (fresh from the comedy megahit Welcome To The Sticks) is joined on this crazy quest by Jeunet regular Dominique Pinon, contortionist Julie Ferrier, and the lovely Yolande Moreau (Séraphine) in an ensemble cast all other French directors must have envied.