New Blu-ray debut for that Billy Wilder delight, THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR

How this film buff and Billy Wilder enthusiast managed to miss THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR -- one of the noted director/ writer's most ebullient and charming films -- remains a mystery to me (did I not realize it was a Wilder movie?), but thanks to Arrow Academy's new Blu-ray transfer of the film, I have now caught up. And what a delightful surprise -- unusual, too, considering that it comes via Mr. Wilder (shown below) -- this made-in-1942 movie turns out to be.

Folk around the advanced age of TrustMovies probably best remember this noted auteur for films that seemed singularly cynical, if often darkly (sometimes downright nastily) funny: from Ace in the Hole and Sunset Boulevard through The Apartment, Kiss Me Stupid, and The Fortune Cookie. His most famous and popular work may be Some Like It Hot, but that dark cynicism adheres to most everything in his oeuvre. Except maybe to The Major and the Minor.

Mind you, this little darling of a movie is perfectly aware of how the world works. Note how the very "connected" fiancee of the one of the leading characters (played by Ray Milland, below) does everything in her power to keep her man from serving active duty during World War II. Not particularly patriotic!

The other lead character (Ginger Rogers, below, in one of the best of her many fine performances) scams just about everybody she meets in the course of the movie. Yet there is such a genuine sweetness -- honesty, too -- at the heart of this film (its co-writer was Charles Brackett) that you'll find it difficult to escape its singular, enticing hold.

I suspect that it's Wilder's wry wit and unending skepticism pressed upon what would seem to be an awfully "cute" tale that consistently keeps the film from turning saccharine. The result is a real and highly original classic comedy of disguise and disinformation (not unlike Some Like It Hot in this regard, but one hell of a lot sweeter).

The story begins with a much put-upon Ms Rogers giving up her try at living and working in New York City and instead returning to her midwest home. Because the train fare has risen since she arrived in the city, however, she doesn't have enough money to buy a ticket. How she circumvents this becomes one of the cleverest, long-running comedic situations in movie history (The moment at which Rogers reappears, after entering the ladies room, is hilarious and magical.)

Her disguise leads her into the life of military man Milland, his fiance (an excellent Rita Johnson, above, left, with the very funny Robert Benchley) and a bevy of smitten military cadets (below).

How this comedy of manners, military and otherwise, resolves proves both surprising and surprisingly smart -- encompassing an unexpected array of emotions and ideas in its final several minutes,

while allowing both Rogers and Milland to demonstrates their rich versatility. What fine actors these two were! Milland in particular is so wonderfully loose and easy here, you may find yourself amazed of what he is capable.

In a wonderful supporting cast, the stand-out is probably young Diana Lynn (below), who absolutely nails her character, the worldly-wise younger sister of that nasty fiancee. The terrifically-written scenes between Lynn and Rogers sparkle like crazy.

From Arrow Video, distributed here in the USA via MVD Visual/MVD Entertainment Group, and running 100 minutes, the Blu-ray -- in a wonderful restoration from the original negativer that makes the film seem new all over again -- hits the street this coming Tuesday, September 24, for purchase and (I hope) rental. The plentiful Bonus Features include a must-see-and-hear, newly filmed appreciation of the movie by critic Neil Sinyard. What Mr. Sinyard has to say -- about so many things -- is very much worth hearing. And he says it all so well.

Home Video debut for Jean-François Richet's remake of Claude Berri's ONE WILD MOMENT

When Claude Berri's 1977 film Un moment d'égarement was first released in the USA (not until 1981), as TrustMovies recalls, it was not met with much enthusiasm from our cultural guardians. Its theme of inter-generational sex (as well as caring and connection) between an older man and the daughter of his best friend proved too much for our hypocritical taboos.

Now Jean-François Richet (of the Mesrine movies, Blood Father) and the remake of Assault on Precinct 13) has remade the original (which he's dedicated to M. Berri) with an updated version, also titled in English ONE WILD MOMENT. The good news: It is very well done indeed.

M. Richet, shown at left, has cast his movie extremely well, using two of France's most popular and talented actors in the "dad" roles -- Vincent Cassel and François Cluzet (shown above and below, with M. Cluzet on the right) -- and with two young, beautiful and talented new actresses in the daughter roles. Although the director (who also co-adapted, with Lisa Azuelos, Berri's original screenplay) more often makes crime movies, he clearly has a knack for comedy, as well. Richet's blending of the humorous and the heartfelt with that age-old generation gap and a nice touch of feminism is quite expert. Further, as funny and crazy as things get, he never allows them to reach the point of unreal.

One Wild Moment stays grounded at all times, thanks hugely to the performances of Cassel -- who proves lighter on his feet here than I have seen him in years; the actor is always good, but he's usually given darker roles to play -- and Cluzet, who gets the more unpleasant of the two dad roles and runs with it to completion.

The two daughters are played by newcomer Lola Le Lann (above) and Alice Isaaz (below). Both are excellent, though Ms Le Lann all but steals the entire film, thanks to her great beauty and a talent that is not far behind. She's a knockout in all respects, controlling the movie -- pretty much as she does Cassel's character -- with ease, grace, beauty, charm and a whole lot of willpower.

Because the sex is initiated via the girl and not the dad (who tries his best to resist, again and again), the carnality goes down a lot easier. And it would be hypocritical to imagine that young girls do not sometimes feel this attraction. Couple that to their usual sense of entitlement (particularly when they are as gorgeous as our heroine here) and you have a recipe for an eventual explosion.

How that explosion happens is brought to fine fruition by Richet and his cast. To his movie's credit, its aftermath is only suggested rather than insisted upon. One Wild Moment is yet another example of why and how the French handle the intricacies of oddball romance and sex better than just about any other culture.

Frem Under the Milky Way and running 105 minutes, the movie makes its U.S. debut via home video tomorrow, Tuesday, September 25, available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Xbox, Microsoft, Vudu, Comcast, Cox, Charter, Spectrum, RCN and additional VOD platforms. 

DVDebut: Anne Le Ny's bouncy, clever employment rom-com, THE CHEF'S WIFE

What a  timely idea for a romantic comedy: a movie that centers around an employment office dedicated to finding jobs for the downsized. Leave it to the French, particularly to the new queen of the cultural-mores-and-social-services movie, Ann Le Ny, to give it to us. Ms Le Ny, who earlier offered up two fine films of this nature -- Those Who Remain and My Father's Guests -- has now added another feather to her cap with this new charmer, THE CHEF'S WIFE.

Le Ny , shown at right, appears to be taking up (somewhat, at least) the mantel of Danièle Thompson, another fine French filmmaker dedicated to rom-coms-cum-social-satire. Here again, as has been her wont so far, she has rounded up an ace cast of French film pros and given them succulent roles to devour. Do they! Le Ny has worked previously with both her leading ladies -- Karin Viard (below, right) and Emmanuelle Devos (below, left) -- so I suspect she understands well the capabilities of each. As writer and director, she uses both actresses in very interesting ways -- they're somewhat different here than I've yet seen them -- and then scrambles things so that eventually, their characters, along with their positions, are cleverly reversed.

In the role of that chef is one of France's enduring icon's Roschdy Zem (below), who, as usual, brings his unique combination of quiet strength, unassuming sexuality and exotic looks to the fore and certainly helps carry this movie.

To go into plot details will give away what really should be a series of smart surprises that the film wittily unveils. Unfortunately, it also eventually partially unravels, as Ms Le NY paints her plot, along with her characters, into a corner, from which the only release becomes a combination of coincidence and rather too obvious plot machinations.

This is too bad because the initial two-thirds of the film comprises first-class stuff: timely, funny and smart. Even with the slight disappointment that accompanies the conclusion, The Chef's Wife is still more fun, more au courant and more original than much of what we see out of Hollywood, either in would-be blockbuster or small independent,

From Distrib Films US, running a sleek 91 minutes, and arriving on DVD in the USA via Icarus Films, the movie hits the street on DVD this coming Tuesday, May 9 -- for purchase and/or rental. Streaming-wise, it's also available via iTunes or Amazon.