Brian Aherne is the Great Garrick, a famous English actor and the film is set around 1750. Aherne travels to France to make a guest appearance as Don Juan with a prestigious French acting troupe. However, they hear that he is only coming over in order to teach the French how to act. So, they devise a scheme to take over the Inn at which he will be staying in order to scare him and humiliate him into retracting this slur. Aherne gets wise to this and plays along but things are not what they seem. Aristocratic Olivia de Havilland (Germaine) shows up at the Inn unexpectedly and Aherne thinks she is part of the troupe out to deceive him. Love wins out in the end because it is a comedy and so we need a happy ending.
It's too shouty, there are far too many unfunny comedy characters and I wanted a more satisfying ending. Aherne gives de Havilland a harsh dressing down near the end of the film - it's very hurtful, cruel even - and you long for them to meet up again when de Havilland can return the insults and get even. They do see each other again but she forgives him. Puke! Yuk!
However, I think there is a truth to the film's message to "teach the French." President Macron is a smug Frenchman and the EU is a modern-day dictatorship that we in the UK have thankfully left. We no longer have to put up with garlic munching and onion chomping or dressing up in stripey jumpers. Now to teach them a lesson - "Teach the French!"
It's too shouty, there are far too many unfunny comedy characters and I wanted a more satisfying ending. Aherne gives de Havilland a harsh dressing down near the end of the film - it's very hurtful, cruel even - and you long for them to meet up again when de Havilland can return the insults and get even. They do see each other again but she forgives him. Puke! Yuk!
However, I think there is a truth to the film's message to "teach the French." President Macron is a smug Frenchman and the EU is a modern-day dictatorship that we in the UK have thankfully left. We no longer have to put up with garlic munching and onion chomping or dressing up in stripey jumpers. Now to teach them a lesson - "Teach the French!"