Even for the 90s this film could set back gay liberation decades more. Some reviewers compare it to La Cage aux Folles, but unlike La Cage, which was well written farce and hilariously funny, Pédale Douce tries to veer from comedy into dramatic territory, but is so weakly written that it ends up misfiring on all fronts. It's not even fair to say it's politically incorrect; it's just so wrong in every way that I can only imagine it was written by clueless straight people or even more clueless gays. There are so many cringeworthy moments when I wanted to turn it off, but the only thing that kept me watching was Fanny Ardant, who is radiant despite the script and ridiculous characterizations. She can do a coffee commercial and make it seem marvelous, and she is marvelous to watch even here. However, asides from a couple of sexy moments, it takes determination to withstand the rest. Pédale Douce translates to "soft pedal" but lame pedal would be more apt.
Review of Pédale douce
