| Nothing would make Kevin
Kline’s Chief Inspector Dreyfuss more ecstatic than
recovering the Pink Panther since this would
guarantee his receiving the coveted Medal of Honor
from the French government. However, he needs an
incompetent to run interference against the media
while working on it. From a small French village he
hires and promotes to inspector, Jacques Clouseau.
In every sense of the word, a bungler, Dreyfus knows
this idiot will serve his purpose well. And just to
make sure he assigns one of his own detectives to
“work” with him. Gendarme Gilbert Ponton (Jean
Reno).
Clouseau reminds me of an unltra-unsophisticated
Lt. Columbo, a role made popular by Peter Falk,
whose worn trench coat and dullard like attitude
made criminals feel at ease about not getting
caught. That is until the end when Columbo showed
his true prowess as a detective, exposing the proof
and snapping on the handcuffs.
As I mentioned above, I managed to leave
Peter Sellers behind so I could solely concentrate
on Martin’s Clouseau. Those who have seen the
Sellers films knows he always gets the villain in
the end through unorthodox and orthodox methods.
Martin is definitely no slouch exuding this aspect.
The hilarious situations he gets into are classic.
And even better, not all the funny parts were
revealed in the trailers. There’s even an homage to
a certain Adam Sandler/Jack Nicholson film involving
him and Ponton.
Jean Reno more than proves his range as a
fine actor playing the straight partner of
Clouseau, playing off dialogue and action and being
funny without even trying. Although Dreyfuss has set
him to actually spy on the newly promoted inspector,
he gives you the feeling that he really admires his
new superior and respects him.
Of course there must be a love interest.
And Emily Mortimer is one of the best. Like Reno,
her acting talents are quite expansive( I recently
saw her in Woody Allen’s Match Point). She naturally
falls into the role of Nicole, Dreyfuss’s
beautifully pleasant and simple secretary with a
compromising position that will have you rolling in
the aisles.
Kevin Kline has also played drama, comedy,
westerns (Wild Wild West), even musicals as the
brilliant songwriter Cole Porter in DeLovely. His
Chief Inspector Dreyfuss serves as the eternal butt
of Clouseau’s lumbering. Serves him right for
setting Jacques up for failure, yet I couldn’t
help but to feel sorry for him after all the back
breaking punishment he goes through.
Working from a firm humorous script
(co-written by Martin), Shawn Levy enhances his
comedy greatly with the opening title design by
using the classic Pink Panther theme composed by
Henry Mancini. It brings such an aura of nostalgia
seeing the animated cat strutting to his own tune
while eluding all of Clouseau’s dim-witted efforts
to catch him. Levy simply drew me into the movie
with this, and the many film goers, Pink Panther
fans or not will be drawn also. |
