NORMANDY NUDE

Meat prices are plummeting in Normandy France owing to cheap imports from Germany and Romania. Should the inhabitants of a small village stage a protest by dumping manure or milk on the highways? Why of course not! What will garner more publicity for their cause the town’s mayor (Francoiz Cluzet) decides is for 200 of the townsfolk to have a nude photo taken in a field. Really?

Boasting visually stunning cinematography of picturesque landscapes in rural France, this film is somewhat disappointing owing to a silly premise and subplots which lack substance utilised as nothing more than time fillers.

Mildly funny this comedy-drama, however, is highly topical, resonating the problems which meat farmers must endure, seemingly invisible to politicians as many collapse under financial pressures and even suicide.

Francoiz Cluzet is a fine actor who came to global prominence in the hilarious and incredibly successful French comedy Intouchables, a once in a lifetime dream script for Cluzet, who will find it difficult to replicate similar success in other films.

This French rehash of Calendar Girls and The Full Monty is not a bad film – it’s just nothing to get too excited about. (MMo)

★★ ½