Official Synopsis:
From Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the award-winning director of Amélie, comes a unique and surreal dark comedy that received overwhelming critical acclaim! In a post-apocalyptic society where meat is scarce, cannibalism is no longer unsavory. And when a young ex-clown takes a job in a dilapidated deli, he's completely unaware that the butcher plans to serve him to the building's bizarre tenants! But when the butcher’s nearsighted daughter falls for the clown, she'll go to absurd lengths to foil her father's plan! Loaded with tasty bonus features, this bonafide cult classic now premieres on DVD!
Our Take:
Any film by Jean-Pierre Jeunet is guaranteed to be anything but an ordinary film. The word auteur comes to mind when looking at his body of work, but only film snobs and art students use words like that. He is probably most known in the United States for his film Amelié, and whether people know it or not, they've likely also seen another one of his works, Alien: Resurrection. His films exist in a world of their own, where every minute detail is seen to. Jeunet weaves a seemingly seamless tapestry of magic, and his characters are as wild and eccentric as he is.
I had been looking forward to seeing this film ever since having seen Amelié and reading up on Jeunet's other films, I just never had the opportunity. This new disc from Buena Vista marks the first time that Delicatessen has made it onto DVD. While I can't say the long wait was exactly worth it, I am still very glad I had the opportunity to finally see the film. Besides the offbeat sense of reality and bizarre characters, the story seems pretty thin in certain places. While it is rich and detailed for the most part, I think too much is spread out over the course of the film, and at the end it just leaves you wanting a little something more.
Dominique Pinon, who has appeared now in several of Jeunet's films, plays the lead role
here as Louison, an unemployed clown looking for room and board. Pinon isn't your typical Hollywood actor; he's short, not exactly good looking, and is rather impish. However, his charisma on the screen is fantastic. It's refreshing to get away from the pretty boy actors like Tom Cruise and Hugh Grant that are usually seen in American cinema.
This freshly cut DVD offers up a nice lean serving of features. As you may or may not know, this film is in French, and there is no English dub. Luckily, Jeunet's films don't rely so much on dialogue as they do on mise-en-scene and aesthetics. Visually, it's a platter of things to feast your eyes on and he lets the images do the translating. Here’s what’s on the disc:
* Commentary - With Jean-Pierre Jeunet. As much as I enjoyed this film, having to sit and watch the commentary in subtitles isn't as much fun. Commentaries are nice to listen to while doing something else and occasionally looking up at the TV screen when they point out something specific. However, having to read them is pretty annoying. If you're a big Jeunet fan, you won't mind this and it is pretty informative. (And if you can speak French, then you're all set!)
* Fine Cooked Meats: A Nod to Delicatessen (14 minutes) - A making-of of sorts. Unfortunately there are no interviews included, it's basically behind-the-scenes footage, showing how certain shots were achieved. It’s a pretty disappointing feature, as it would have been nice to hear from Dominique Pinon or some of the other actors. At least there are no more subtitles to read!
* The Archives of Jean-Pierre Jeunet (9 minutes) - Rare footage from Jeunet's personal collection, featuring outtakes and rehearsals.
* Theatrical Trailer.
Ever since I saw Amelié, I've been drawn into Jean-Pierre Jeunet's world. If you can get past the subtitles and the French eccentricities, then Delicatessen is a delightfully offbeat film that I am sure you will enjoy.
Overall Picture:
Movie: B+
DVD: B
- Chris Lawrence
Staff Writer
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