''The Twin'' () is a

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

French

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Yves Robert Yves Robert (; 19 June 1920 – 10 May 2002) was a French actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. Life and career Robert was born in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, France. In his teens, he went to Paris to pursue a career in acting, starting w ...

, starring

Pierre Richard Pierre Richard (born Pierre-Richard Maurice Charles Léopold Defays; 16 August 1934) is a France, French actor, film director and screenwriter, best known for the roles of a clumsy daydreamer in comedy films. Richard is considered by some, such a ...

, Camilla More and Carey More. Based on Donald Westlake's novel ''Two Much'', the story involves an indebted Frenchman who meets a pair of beautiful and rich American twin sisters. Inventing a twin brother, he manages to marry both and live their opulent lifestyle. Its American/Spanish remake '' Two Much'', starring

Antonio Banderas José Antonio Domínguez Bandera (born 10 August 1960), known professionally as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish actor. Known for his work in films of several genres, he has received numerous accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival Award ...

and

Melanie Griffith Melanie Richards Griffith (born August 9, 1957) is an American actress. Born in Manhattan to actress Tippi Hedren, she was raised mainly in Los Angeles, where she graduated from the Hollywood Professional School at age 16. In 1975, 17-year-old ...

, was released in 1995.

Plot

Owner of a struggling business in Paris, Matthias Duval stakes all he has in a game of poker and loses. At a party he meets a beautiful young American, Liz, and they soon end up in bed. Next morning she says that she has a twin called Betty, to which he jokes that he has a twin called Mathieu. When he meets Betty, she says she must meet his brother. Creating a different persona as "Mathieu", he starts romancing Betty as well. What he does not know is that each sister must get married by the end of the year or she will lose her share of the fortune left by their parents. The lawyer in charge of the estate, Volpinex, warns Matthias to stay away from them. Betty marries "Mathieu" secretly, and next morning as Matthias he decides he must break with Liz. She convinces him to get engaged to her by the promise of 4,000 dollars a month plus sexual freedom. Using the latter clause, in persona as Matthias he spends a night with Liz. She flies him to the US to marry him there. Matthias then leaves Liz to go on an imaginary business trip to Japan, while "Mathieu" joins his wife Betty and her lonely sister in an isolated seaside house they own, When the twins are out one night, the lawyer Volpinex appears. He has solid evidence that there is only one Matthias, who has married bigamously to defraud the parents' estate. In a struggle, Volpinex is accidentally shot and a fire accidentally started. "Mathieu" disappears, learning from the radio that the police believe the charred corpse to be his and that Volpinex, who has disappeared, must be the murderer. Hastily returning from Japan, Matthias resumes relations with his wife Liz and comforts the bereaved Betty. In fact, the girls knew of his duplicity all along and are happy to live as a ménage à trois.

Cast

as Matthias Duval/"Matthieu Duval" *

Jean-Pierre Kalfon Jean-Pierre Kalfon (born 30 October 1938) is a French actor and singer. Selected filmography External links * 1938 births Living people French male film actors French male television actors Male actors from Paris French male stage a ...

as Ernest Volpinex * Camilla More as Betty Kerner * Carey More as Liz Kerner * Jacques Frantz as Ralph * Françoise Dorner as Marie * Andréa Ferréol as Evie * Jean-Pierre Castaldi as Charlie * Paul Le Person as the beggar *Isabelle Strawa as Nikki *

as a man in the elevator (cameo appearance)

References

External links

*
Review
at Films de France

at Commeaucimena.com 1980s French-language films 1980s sex comedy films 1984 romantic comedy films 1980s screwball comedy films French sex comedy films 1984 films French romantic comedy films Films based on American novels Films based on works by Donald E. Westlake Films scored by Vladimir Cosma 1980s French films French-language romantic comedy films {{1980s-romantic-comedy-film-stub