L'Emmerdeur
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''L'emmerdeur'' (literally ''The Troublemaker'', with the English title of ''A Pain in the Ass'', often promoted as ''A Pain in the A__'') is a 1973 French-Italian
black comedy Black comedy, also known as black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, dark humor, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally ...
film, starring
Jacques Brel Jacques Romain Georges Brel (; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed theatrical songs. He generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, but later throughout the world ...
, appearing in his tenth and final feature film. Directed by
Édouard Molinaro Édouard Molinaro (13 May 1928 – 7 December 2013) was a French film director and screenwriter. Biography He was born in Bordeaux, Gironde. He is best known for his comedies with Louis de Funès (''Oscar (1967 film), Oscar'', ''Hibernatus''), ...
and co-starring
Lino Ventura Angiolino Giuseppe Pasquale Ventura (14 July 1919 – 22 October 1987), known as Lino Ventura, was an Italian-born actor and philanthropist, who lived and worked for most of his life in France. He was considered one of the greatest leading men ...
, Caroline Cellier, and Jean-Pierre Darras, ''L'emmerdeur'' is an adaptation of
Francis Veber Francis Paul Veber (born 28 July 1937) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer, and playwright. He has written and directed both French and American films. Nine French-language films with which he has been involved, as either writer ...
's 1971 play ''Le contrat''. In the film, a
contract killer Contract killing (also known as murder-for-hire) is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or people. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of compensation, moneta ...
waits for his intended victim at a hotel room, but his plan is accidentally thwarted by the suicidal salesman occupying the neighboring room. He resorts to prevent the salesman from committing suicide, in fear that the suicide would cause a police search in the hotel.


Plot

Ralph Milan is a
contract killer Contract killing (also known as murder-for-hire) is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or people. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of compensation, moneta ...
who is paid to kill Louis Randoni, whose testimony in various trials could harm the organisation. Ralph waits for his prey in his hotel room, but is interrupted by his comical neighbour, a shirt salesman named François Pignon (Jacques Brel). Pignon, who is suicidal since his wife left him for a reputed psychiatrist named Fuchs (Jean-Pierre Darras), tries to hang himself on the waterpipes, but only manages to cause a flood. Realizing that if Pignon tries to kill himself again, the police will search the place, Milan offers to talk him out of it until after his assassination. Unfortunately Pignon starts irritating him more, and makes it more difficult for him to fulfill his contract killing.


Cast

*
Jacques Brel Jacques Romain Georges Brel (; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed theatrical songs. He generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, but later throughout the world ...
as François Pignon *
Lino Ventura Angiolino Giuseppe Pasquale Ventura (14 July 1919 – 22 October 1987), known as Lino Ventura, was an Italian-born actor and philanthropist, who lived and worked for most of his life in France. He was considered one of the greatest leading men ...
as Ralf Milan * Caroline Cellier as Louise Pignon *
Jean-Pierre Darras Jean-Pierre Darras (1927–1999) was a French actor. Filmography 1927 births 1999 deaths Deaths from cancer in France French film directors French monarchists Male actors from Paris People from Val-de-Marne Male actors from Île-de ...
as Fuchs *
Nino Castelnuovo Francesco "Nino" Castelnuovo (28 October 1936 – 6 September 2021) was an Italian actor of film, stage and television, best known for his starring role as Guy Foucher in the French musical film ''The Umbrellas of Cherbourg'' (1964). Castelnu ...
as The bellhop * Angela Cardile as The future mother * Xavier Depraz as Louis Randoni * Jean-Louis Tristan as The hotel inspector * André Valardy as The hitchhiker * Jean Franval as The hitchhiker *
Pierre Collet Pierre Collet (10 March 1914 – 30 October 1977) was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films and television shows between 1943 and 1977. Selected filmography * '' Goodbye Leonard'' (1943) – Le marchand d'habits (uncred ...
as The butcher * Arlette Balkis as The patient * Éric Vasberg as The rally pilot * Jacques Galland as Maître Chamfort *
François Dyrek François Dyrek (16 August 1933 – 17 December 1999) was a French actor. He appeared in more than 140 films and television shows between 1964 and 1999. Partial filmography * ''L'assassin viendra ce soir'' (1964) – Un membre du gang des ...


Remakes

The film was remade in the United States in 1981 as ''
Buddy Buddy ''Buddy Buddy'' is a 1981 American comedy film based on Francis Veber's play ''Le contrat'' and Édouard Molinaro's film '' L'emmerdeur''. It is the final film directed and written by Billy Wilder. Plot To earn his long-awaited retirement, hitm ...
'' by
Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an American filmmaker and screenwriter. His career in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and ver ...
, starring
Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, he was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in comedy-drama films. He received num ...
and
Walter Matthau Walter John Matthau ( Matthow; ; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, known for his "hangdog face" and for playing world-weary characters. He starred in 10 films alongside his real-life friend Jack Lemmon, including '' The Od ...
. The film was remade in France in 2008 as ''L' Emmerdeur'' starring
Patrick Timsit Patrick Timsit () is a French comedian, writer and film director. He has been nominated for four César Awards – three times as an actor and once as a writer. He is best known for the French comedy ''Un indien dans la ville''. In 2006, he pa ...
and Richard Berry. Neither remake was well received, and the 2008 version was a conspicuous disaster, attracting derisory audiences. The film also remade in Turkish as ''Baş Belası'' in 1982 directed by
Kartal Tibet Kartal Tibet (27 March 1937 – 1 July 2021) was a Turkish actor, academic, director, screenwriter and producer. A prominent lead actor of classic films in the Turkish cinema, he has played a wide range of characters in various genres, including ...
. A remake in Hindi titled ''
Bumboo ''Bumboo'' () is a 2012 Bollywood black comedy film directed by Jagdish Rajpurohit. ''Bumboo'' is based on an original play/film '' L'emmerdeur'' written by Francis Veber.The film stars Sharat Saxena, Sanjay Mishra, Kavin Dave and Mandy Takhar ...
'' was released in 2012.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Emmerdeur, L' 1973 films 1970s buddy comedy films 1973 black comedy films Belgian black comedy films Italian black comedy films Italian buddy comedy films French buddy comedy films Films directed by Édouard Molinaro Films shot in France Films set in France French films based on plays 1970s French-language films French black comedy films Films about contract killing in France 1970s Italian films 1970s French films Films with screenplays by Francis Veber Films based on works by Francis Veber Films about contract killing Films about salespeople Films about suicide Films set in hotels French-language black comedy films