Delicatessen (1991)

Delicatessen (1991)

What do you get when you mix an organized group of cannibals and an ex-clown in a post-apocalyptic period? I’m not even sure, but I enjoyed the movie. But, it is certainly one of the strangest films I’ve ever seen.

After some type of apocalyptic ‘happening’ in France, a group of cannibals live together in an apartment building, and the Butcher runs the cannibal group and the building. Every few weeks, the Butcher puts out an ad for “help wanted” for his building in a newspaper.

Here’s the catch, the person that takes the job ends up becoming food for the people in the apartment building. Well, the next person (victim) is an out-of-work clown performer, minus his make-up and pet monkey. He comes in thinking everything is on the up and up.

This movie is part comedy and part horror mixed in with a strange love story. The movie is subtitles only with no dubbing, which I prefer dubbing because I like to see the performances of the actors instead of reading, but it isn’t that bad. However, you will miss some of the more comedic scenes because you’re busy reading the text.

The film is stylized in the form of the old 50’s movies. Even though it is a post-apocalyptic movie it is clearly set during the 50s. The acting is spot from everyone. Dominique Pinon is spot on as the former clown/hero of the movie. He’s just a loveable guy in this movie and you hope they won’t eat him. Marie-Laure Dougnac plays the flighty daughter of the butcher and she sweet and has an unconventional beauty to her.

If I had one big problem with the movie, it would be the introduction of the Mole People. They are vegetarians living in the sewers. They’re shoehorned into the story and don’t really fit with the 1950s vibe, which is set in the earlier section of the movie. I simply didn’t care for them either way. With a movie loaded with strange events and scenes they were a layer too thick for me.

I can’t say the movie is for everyone, but if you want to try an uncanny French comedy, try this one.

Grade: B- and a (?)