In theaters since Wednesday, “Les Vengeances de Maître Poutifard” is the new comedy by Pierre-François Martin-Laval. Here are 5 things to know about this film which brings together Christian Clavier and Isabelle Nanty.
What is it about ? A retired teacher, Robert Poutifard has only one idea in mind: to take revenge on his former students who ruined his life! To help him implement his diabolical plan, he has the best accomplice by his side… his mother. Together, they will make them see all the colors! Revenge is a dish best served cold, and Robert Poutifard has prepared a real chef’s surprise for them.
Aunty Danielle
For the character of Huguette Poutifard, Pierre-François Martin-Laval had in mind Tatie Danielle. It turns out that Étienne Chatiliez’s comedy offered Isabelle Nanty one of her first roles. This one says: “I told myself that Tsilla Chelton would have been perfect as a Clavier’s mother and I thought of her for the rhythm because, in her image, I am much slower than most of my partners.”
In addition, Tsilla Chelton was Christian Clavier’s theater teacher: “Tsilla was able to play women with all their flaws and she expected us to really ‘incarnate’ our roles and not just play them.”
Genesis
During confinement, while he was writing The Profs 3, Pierre-François Martin-Laval was contacted by his producer Romain Rojtman. He suggested that she read The Third Revenge of Robert Poutifard by Jean-Claude Mourlevat, whom his son was then studying in CM1 class. The actor and director initially hesitated because the hero being older, there would be no big role for him, before changing his mind: “by staging Depardieu In Fahim I had discovered a new pleasure, that of being only behind the camera…”
Mark Bo
Adaptation
The first version of the scenario of Master Poutifard’s Vengeances was very faithful to the original novel, published in 2004. Then Pierre-François Martin-Laval decided to make changes to be more in tune with our times: “So I gave myself more and more freedom and, for the sake of narration (and production), I established a link that did not exist between the former students of Poutifard: they became a clan of children cruel of the same class and not of several different generations.”
He also gave more prominence to the character of the master’s mother, who is bedridden in the book. He specifies : “I had some qualms about taking these liberties but David Cohenmy co-author, convinced me to do it by reminding me that to adapt was to betray a little.”
Poutifard Keyboard
Christian Clavier was not the first actor that Pierre-François Martin-Laval had in mind for Poutifard. Instead, he imagined the character as Gru in Despicable Me. But the director had taken pleasure in directing the actor on Les Profs: “It was a nice way to get together. After having him play a very slow guy, having him put on the costume of a man in pain interested me.”
Mark Bo
24 hours after reading the script, Clavier gave him his consent: “It’s the prerogative of the greats: they don’t have whims and know right away if that’s what they want to play. However, having an actor of the caliber of Clavier who has both comic power and a darkness, gives you wings.”
The actor focused on his text, refusing to know what was going to happen in his scenes, as Pef relates: “When I tried to prepare him for the action to preserve him, he slammed the door in my face because he was only interested in the text. A month before filming, he worked with a coach on his lines but also those of his partners. That doesn’t mean he’s a bully who wants it to the comma – if his partner improvises to add to it, he’ll gladly follow – but staging isn’t his problem. he wants to surprise and be surprised.”
Mark Bo
Pygmalion
Pierre-François Martin-Laval finds Isabelle Nanty, whom he directed in all his films: “Isabelle is my pygmalion, the fairy of my career. She was my theater teacher and made me work as a young actor, before bringing her guarantee, as an actress, taking one of the main roles in the first play of Robins des Bois who brought us luck.”
The actress was afraid of not being credible in the role of an old woman: “I was very afraid of failing but it was his idea, he was keen on it, had discussed it with Christian Clavier. It’s not always easy to find the resource but when you trust the director, you can adapt.”