Blu-ray Review: ‘La Cage Aux Folles’ Joins Criterion Collection

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CHICAGO – 1978’s release of the French farce “La Cage Aux Folles” was a cultural event in New York City, where it played for months to audiences who had never seen anything like it. History has somewhat reappraised the film, especially so after the release of the Mike Nichols’ remake “The Birdcage,” and seen it as more than mere popular entertainment, crediting it with opening minds to lifestyles previously closeted. Seeing it in 2013, in the newly released Criterion release, has a weird time capsule quality to it in that I think the film is more of an “important one” than actually works on its own merits. It’s an interesting chapter in the expression of gay characters in major films but it’s inconsistent in terms of comedy and character for this viewer. The special features on the new release make the case that it’s a great work but even if you agree with me that it’s not, it’s one that should be seen by all just to see how far we’ve come and realize how groundbreaking this was 35 years ago.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

“La Cage Aux Folles” is a flamboyant, over-the-top farce but the reason it connected with so many people is that the flamboyance of it all rests on a human, heartfelt story of love. It also struck a cultural tone in that it was about characters forced to hide their true selves from a judgmental society, as so many people were forced to do then (and too many are still forced to do now). It’s well-made but just a little too caricaturish for my tastes (and the remake was arguably even worse in that regard). Don’t get me wrong. It’s a fun movie, for sure, and I like that Criterion always finds a way to surprise with their choices for induction. It’s just not my fave.

The special features are a little slight too although the interviews with director Edouard Molinaro and Laurence Senelick, an acclaimed expert on the film, are worth a look.

La Cage Aux Folles was released on Blu-ray on September 10, 2013
Photo credit: Courtesy of the Criterion Collection

Synopsis:
Renato (Ugo Tognazzi) and Albin (Michel Serrault)-a middle-aged gay couple who are the manager and star performer at a glitzy drag club in St. Tropez-agree to hide their sexual identities, along with their flamboyant personalities and home decor, when the ultraconservative parents of Renato’s son’s fiancée come for a visit. This elegant comic scenario kicks off a wild and warmhearted farce about the importance of nonconformity and the beauty of being true to oneself. A modest French comedy that became a breakout art-house smash in America, Edouard Molinaro’s La Cage aux Folles inspired a major Broadway musical and the blockbuster remake The Birdcage. But with its hilarious performances and ahead-of-its-time social message, there’s nothing like the audacious, dazzling original movie.

Special Features:
o New Interview With Director Edouard Molinaro
o Archival Footage Featuring Actor Michel Serrault And Jean Poiret, Writer and Star of The Original Stage Production Of La Cage Aux Folles
o New Interview With Laurence Senelick, Author Of The Changing Room: Sex, Drag and Theatre
o French And U.S. Trailers

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com