Clara and the Why Not (1981) User Reviews

Pleasent but nothing special.

[jhs39 · 5/10 · 20 December 1998]

Cute but dumb comedy drama about French new wave band with questionable talent and their adventures en route to playing a gig in Paris. Isabelle Adjani has little more than an extended cameo and is used similarly to how Suzanne Sommers in American Graffiti and Bo Derek in 10 were employed. It's not hard to see why this one never got a US release.

Light & fun at its best, scattered & uneven at its worst

[I_Ailurophile · 5/10 · 28 June 2023]

I'll say this, the movie doesn't take long to begin making an impression. As it follows the misadventures of a band, a group of friends with very diverse interests and personalities, in turn the narrative and scene writing range wildly. The notes of comedy range from genuinely clever and funny, to mildly or even blithely amusing, to "what?!" For good measure, throw in some beats that are more purely dramatic, briefly and severely shifting the tone. These 110 minutes actually go past surprisingly quickly, but all the while it's hard to get a beat on what the film is really trying to do. It almost feels like writer Jean-Loup Dabadie had some solid ideas, but either he or director Jacques Monnet couldn't decide how to bring them to fruition, nor the mood they wanted to strike at too many points. Even the introduction of Clara - the title character! - and the associated story thread raises a curious or possibly a skeptical eyebrow, not least as she's mostly just a footnote. For my part I did have a good time watching 'Clara et les chics types,' alternatively known as 'Clara and the Why Not,' but it's a rather passive variety of entertainment that this offers, and is suggested for a lazy day instead of specifically carving out an evening for it.

For what it's worth the cast is charming, with Isabelle Adjani naturally standing out all on her own despite only having a small supporting part. The acting is fine, though I almost get a sense that the performances are somewhat straining to keep up appearances - understandable, given the ill-fitting and/or inchoate nature of the material, though at the same time I'll grant that my perception of the acting may be informed by those same observed qualities. While Monnet has a hard time finding any balance in this "comedy-drama," subsequently coloring it all in a murky grey mishmash, his direction is at least capable from a technical standpoint, and the picture is otherwise well made. I appreciate the production design, those stunts and effects that are employed, and Yves Lafaye's cinematography. And to Dabadie's credit, at its best there's some earnest fun to be had here, whether in the characters, dialogue, scenes, or narrative at large. The value of the screenplay at any singular moment might fall anywhere on a regrettably large spectrum, yet there's some sharp writing in irregular dollops that at least helps to keep the whole operating at a baseline functional level.

Would that those best ideas that 'Clara et les chics types' can claim were more representative of the feature overall, and that it was more focused and cohesive. As a viewer I think it's broadly pretty easy to distinguish between those thoughts that were fully formed in conjuration and/or execution, and those that weren't fleshed out or that lacked total follow-through. What we'll get at any time is mostly a roll of the dice, yet unfortunately the entire last third or so is probably the weakest of all, frankly just being all over the place. Still, be that as it may: just as the cast sure seem to be enjoying themselves in some capacity, I can't say that I didn't also kind of enjoy the viewing experience such as it is. By no means is this an altogether bad movie; sadly, it's just not nearly all that it could have been. I'm glad for those who get more out of it, and I want to like it more than I do; I think it's a title that's most recommendable for those who are diehard fans of those involved. For the average viewer? Well, I wouldn't say that it's anything one needs to go out of their way to see, but I suppose it's duly engaging and satisfying for something light when one wants to relax. And hey, sometimes that's all a film needs to be! Not great or special, passably pleasing as a comedy-drama but scattered and uneven - at the end of the day 'Clara et les chics types' is okay if you can abide its flaws, and maybe we should just leave it at that.

The Who's Who in French comedy

[stevekrief · 10/10 · 4 January 2006]

This is probably one of the most important films in french comedy. It reflects upon a new generation of aging adolescents who live simple lives in Grenoble. A dentist, a writer a teacher, a cop, two unemployed persons and other few friends share one experience: the transition of power from right to left in the Presidency. The cultural freedom granted in 1981 is seen by the use of pirate radio, which where later legalized. But it's more the encounter for a common passion: music. The pleasure of listening to it and playing it. Thery form a group called the "Why Notes" which has a gig programmed in a Paris school where a member of the band spent his childhood. But most of all, it's a very poetic and funny story. The Who's Who of French comedy plays in that movie. The members of the Splendid group (whose famous movies include "Les Bronzés", "Le Pere Noël est une ordure", "Papy fait de la résistance", ...) Josiane Balasko, Thierry Lhermitte and Christian Clavier are associated to Daniel Auteuil and Isabelle Adjani. As if you would associate the original cast of Saturday Night Live with John Cusack and Julianne Moore. Ant to top that, you'll enjoy the surrealist performance of Christophe Bourseiller, always a question apart from reality. The only disappointment with the movie is the fact that it has not been released yet on DVD. So, don't hesitate to write a letter to Gaumont to complaint about it!