In "Tendre poulet" two middle-aged people meet again by accident, after several decades : one is a divorced woman working for the police, the other is a confirmed bachelor teaching Old Greek. The tender flame of romance springs into life once again. Will our middle-aged lady find love again ? And will she solve a steadily growing series of murders ?
"Tendre poulet" is a pleasant mix of comedy and thriller. The various actors are in fine shape, the dialogue is eminently quotable and both the music and the scenery are charming. On the whole the movie finds the right balance between suspense and humour, although it contains at least one truly shocking moment, to wit the murder of a cocksure and imprudent police detective. There certainly is nothing funny or cute about this particular scene.
The movie seems to have done well at the box office, since it was to inspire a sequel set in Greece.
"Tendre poulet" is also a satire aimed at a number of targets, such as French politics. The viewer meets not only a human female who is a poulet (a cop), but also another human female who is a poule (a tart or prostitute). The said "poule", a blonde and sunny creature, lives in luxury thanks to a whole collection of sugar daddies. These benefactors are all prominent politicians. When a murderer attacks the respective sugar daddies, panic strikes at the heart of the body politic, to the point where normal parliamentary work stalls. Two or three extra murders, and the Republic itself might topple.
So "Tendre poulet" can certainly be watched with pleasure, although it does not do to overthink a number of elements. For instance, the scene at the very beginning, in which both protagonists meet again as a result of an accident, is enough to make First Aid teachers foam at the mouth. There's also a scene in which our female poulet (with a T) stops a departing train, for purely personal reasons. Oooh, she's such a romantic ! In most civilized countries, such an action would be punishable by law ; it would also be considered a sackable offence of particular gravity. And let's not think about those innocent citizens who might be deprived of an important opportunity, such as the opportunity of landing a dream job or the opportunity of saying goodbye to a dying relative...
"Tendre poulet" is a pleasant mix of comedy and thriller. The various actors are in fine shape, the dialogue is eminently quotable and both the music and the scenery are charming. On the whole the movie finds the right balance between suspense and humour, although it contains at least one truly shocking moment, to wit the murder of a cocksure and imprudent police detective. There certainly is nothing funny or cute about this particular scene.
The movie seems to have done well at the box office, since it was to inspire a sequel set in Greece.
"Tendre poulet" is also a satire aimed at a number of targets, such as French politics. The viewer meets not only a human female who is a poulet (a cop), but also another human female who is a poule (a tart or prostitute). The said "poule", a blonde and sunny creature, lives in luxury thanks to a whole collection of sugar daddies. These benefactors are all prominent politicians. When a murderer attacks the respective sugar daddies, panic strikes at the heart of the body politic, to the point where normal parliamentary work stalls. Two or three extra murders, and the Republic itself might topple.
So "Tendre poulet" can certainly be watched with pleasure, although it does not do to overthink a number of elements. For instance, the scene at the very beginning, in which both protagonists meet again as a result of an accident, is enough to make First Aid teachers foam at the mouth. There's also a scene in which our female poulet (with a T) stops a departing train, for purely personal reasons. Oooh, she's such a romantic ! In most civilized countries, such an action would be punishable by law ; it would also be considered a sackable offence of particular gravity. And let's not think about those innocent citizens who might be deprived of an important opportunity, such as the opportunity of landing a dream job or the opportunity of saying goodbye to a dying relative...