La Cage Aux Folles (1978)

'La Cage Aux Folles' is a popular travesty night-club on the French Riviera run by the ever-patient and pragmatic Renato (played by Ugo Tognazzi) and his male partner Albin (Michel Serrault). Albin is the star performer at the club, as Zaza. Albion is not a crossdresser, except as part of the stage act.

Albin is the complete opposite of his lover Renato - fickle, shallow and a total hypochondriac, prone to fits of panic over the most minor of things -- and very very camp in his behaviour. Renato was married once and fathered a son - his character is more bisexual than homosexual the two characters bring a typical French flavour to that most British of stage arts, the farce.

Renato learns that his son is about to marry the daughter of an extremely strait-laced politician who stands for family values and the sanctity of married life. Naturally the parents of the bride wish to meet the parents of the groom but unfortunately Renato's son has not entirely explained the situation at home. As the day planned for the encounter approaches, the practical difficulties are addressed. The house is full of gay statues and icons; they can be removed temporarily. But Renato has to work out how Albin can be explained away.

Renato's initial attempt to persuade Albin to go away for a few days is met with outrage, so plan B is to pass Albin off as an uncle, and Renato puts a lot of effort into trying to teach Albin how to behave -- and dress -- like a heterosexual male. The process is none too successful.

On the critical evening, at first Albin is ready to perform in this role, but he panics and disappears, returning dressed as a middle-aged woman, and introduces himself as the boy's mother.

The film was a huge success, and two (weaker) follow-up films were made, and the story was turned into a successful musical stage play on Broadway. More recently the film was remade for the American market as The Birdcage, the translation of La Cage Aux Folles, with Robin Williams and Nathan Turner respectively in the roles of Renato and Albin.

For me this film scored where The Birdcage fell short. Certainly Zaza's character is not easy to feel comfortable with, but somehow the human relationships seemed more believable; the farcical elements when the straight couple are dining at the Cage are underplayed just enough.

The means of getting the straight father out of the building when the paparazzi arrive is also well done.

HF February 2002

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