Raoul Taburin

Such a horribly badly made labor of love that it looks like a "sweding" of Jan Svěrák's late work. The artificiality and emptiness of the setting at times is unintentionally evocative of certain surreal nightmares or older low-budget video games. (09/04/2020)

Even if I didn't know that Jean-Jacques Sempé was the author and that the film was shot in English, I would still immediately localize the story in the French countryside. From every shot, you can feel the atmosphere of the French south, small towns in Provence, or the neighborhood, where pieces of history can be sensed from the stone houses and the locals' laid-back attitude. In some ways, the film reminds me of Pascal Campion's drawings. Raoul Taburin is a likable film during which you probably won't burst out laughing, but a light smile will be sure to remain on your face. It is a small, pleasant film that will evoke a positive mood. Overall impression: 75%. (11/27/2019)

Raoul Taburin is brimming with pervasive absurdity – both plot and character – which it doesn't always quite manage to pull out. I was quite happy with the cast, Benoît Poelvoorde and his artful grin are a chapter in themselves, I already liked Suzanne Clément in Xavier Dolan's Mommy and Edouard Baer finally met "Brutus" on screen after failing to do so in Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, and their interaction was really funny at times. The film’s premise ha an Amelie vibe, even though it's on the lower end of the quality scale, but it still puts a smile on your face. Maybe I was expecting something more from this film, but I don't regret watching it. It is worth it for the beautiful locations of the French countryside and the pleasant music alone! (06/11/2020)