Comment se faire réformer (1978)
Directed by Philippe Clair

Film Review

In the 1970s, Philippe Clair was one of a select band of mainstream French film directors who, Midas-like, managed to turn the cinematic equivalent of dog poo into 24-carat gold, or, putting it more precisely, conned French cinemagoers in their millions into watching some of the worst comedies every made.  Like most of Clair's films in this benighted decade Comment se faire réformer was a box office success, attracting an audience of over two million, although it is no more than a recycled mish-mash of ideas 'borrowed' from similar 'bidasse' (military service) comedies that were all the rage in France in the '70s - Les Bidasses s'en vont en guerre (1974), Soldat Duroc, ça va être ta fête (1975) - assembled with no discernible talent in any department.

Admittedly, this was not the most politically correct of eras, but Clair goes further than most in his reliance on bad jokes about minorities, and doubtless today he would be judged such an extreme racist, homophobe and misogynist that even the Front National would turn down his application for membership.  As serious a fault as this is, this is not his film's biggest offence.  Comment se faire réformer is simply a film that has no right to exist - it has no plot, no originality, shows no skill or intelligence in any area, and seems to have been thrown together in haste with less than no thought.  Richard Anconina made his screen debut as the stereotypical Jew in this film (and has presumably tried to live it down ever since).  If you think this film is dire, wait until you've seen its 'sequel', Les Réformés se portent bien (1978). If bad taste and a penchant for asinine comedies were capital crimes, Philippe Clair would have been guillotined within a week of either film being released.  As it was, in the 1970s, the French just could not get enough of his style of humour.

Film Synopsis

Two rebellious young men are prepared to resort to any means possible to escape their military service.  Neither has any intention of serving under his country's colours for the stipulatory whole year, so as a last resort they decide to open fire on their superiors' tent during a firing exercise...