Micmacs is Jean-Pierre Jeunet‘s (Amelie) latest film. Micmacs stars Dany Boon as Bazil, a grown man, who never grew out of his childhood. He was accidentally shot while working at a video store. When they bring him to the hospital, the doctors decide not to take out the bullet, arguing that he may die if they don’t. He survives with the bullet in his hand but becomes homeless and jobless because of the accident. He starts to think of creative ways to make money until another man in the name of Slammer (Jean-Pierre Marielle) takes him in his wing and introduces him to his scrap-making family.
While looking for scraps they can make into something usable, Bazil happens upon the headquarters of the bullet and mine that caused his accident and his father’s death. Together with his new family, they execute a creative plan to exact his revenge on the company’s CEOs.
The film does not lack the colorful, creative and playful world that has always dominated Jeunet’s previous films. The whole mood and atmosphere is still timeless and universal and it always feels as if we’re transported to another world, and even another dimension. There is a distinction between the good guys and the bad guys and we never replace them with each other.
It has to be noted though that, despite its playfulness, the film still lacks the same color and amazement as his other films. The story was clear enough once we knew what was going on. The set-up wasn’t quite clear why he wanted to exact revenge on the mine company when we weren’t quite sure with the relationship with father.
But despite the large number of characters in the movie, Jeunet manages to create and maintain their different personalities while working with the other characters in the film.
Micmacs is a nice and creative film about revenge but don’t expect it to have the same aura as his earlier films.
