French fun and games in Laurent Tirard's period charmer, RETURN OF THE HERO

A French frolic worth seeking out (it made its DVD debut last week and is also now available via digital/streaming), RETURN OF THE HERO proves one of those exceedingly rare costume comedies that should have you smiling, chuckling and occasionally outright guffawing at the antics of the clever (or not so) characters on screen.

This is, unfortunately, the kind of movie that gets lost in the shuffle precisely because it has nothing to offer -- no important theme, no great art, nor maybe any redeeming social value -- other than first-class entertainment. That last, of course, never in great supply, should be reason enough to see it.

As written and directed by Laurent Tirard (of the Nicholas movies) -- a writer and filmmaker, shown at right, that our critical establishment, as well as perhaps its French equivalent, prefers not to take seriously and therefore deliberately overlooks the work of -- the movie knows exactly what it is and where it is going and thus arrives there in its breezy 89 minutes with nary a hitch.

Return of the Hero is anchored by the terrific performances of its two leads: Jean Dujardin (above, left, and below, right) and Mélanie Laurent (above, right and below, left), both at the top of their very fine form.

M. Dujardin is in his element, playing a handsome, pompous would-be military officer (only his uniform, we suspect, is real, and most probably belongs to somebody else), while Ms Laurent, more often seen in serious roles, here gives her penchant for subtle comedy its rein and matches her co-star, gibe for delightful gibe.

When at film's beginning, "Captain" Neuville (Dujardin) proposes to Pauline, the younger daughter (Noémie Merlant, above, front right) of the wealthy Beaugrand family, Laurent -- as the older, wiser sis -- smells trouble and goes on high alert.

What happens in the course of this smart little movie is not quite the expected, as one surprise topples over the next, in the course of which love and justice are both somehow served, though not in the manner we might have expected.

The supporting cast is as good as are the leads, with Christian Bujeau and Evelyne Buyle (above, left and right respectively) playing the foolish, funny Beaugrand parents, and an actor new to me, Christophe Montenez (below, right), especially fine as the endearing young man in love with the wrongly besotted Pauline.

By the finale of the film, our two main characters have grown and changed, and you may feel, as did TrustMovies, that writer/director Tirard has made a smart, snide and subtle comment about the worth of the society of the time (early 19th Century France) via the direction his "hero" and "heroine" choose to take.

All in all, a highly enjoyable little lark, Return of the Hero never received even a limited theatrical release here in the USA, so we must be grateful to Icarus Home Video and Distrib Films US for the opportunity to finally see it -- available now on DVD and/or streaming, for purchase or rental.

Blu-ray/DVDebut: Heisting con artists at work in Jonathan Sobol's slick THE ART OF THE STEAL

Say what you will (for instance, "What? Another heist movie!"), but there is something undeniably breezy and entertaining about a well-done film concerning con artists involved in that really big heist. When the film in question is handled with as much style and flair as is THE ART OF THE STEAL, written and directed by Jonathan Sobol, it's pretty difficult not to just lean back, relax and go with it. This is particu-larly true when the movie offers little violence (I think there may be a slap in the face and a punch or two exchanged); instead, there is clever, sometimes dizzying plotting and the kind of rat-a-tat pace that rarely allows you to parse the details.

My spouse did wonder aloud, early on in the proceedings, why the forger had to be stationed so very far away from where the deal was going down. (He's getting smarter, that spouse.) Otherwise Mr. Sobol -- pictured at right, double dimples and all -- has put together quite the nifty little entertainment, well-cast, with some folk we don't see all that often and certainly not together in the same movie (Kurt Russell, shown below, for one; Terence Stamp, shown further below, right, with Jason Jones; and Kenneth Welsh). Matt Dillon, in the penultimate photo, below, is also one of the stars. We see him a bit more often these days, and my goodness but he's aging wonderfully well!

The plot, such as it is, proves one of those surprises that come back to bite you (and one of the characters) on the ass, and you'll be murmuring, "Of course! I should have seen that...." But the beauty of the film is that you didn't. And then you do. And what fun it has been to be fooled.

This kind of foolery was done even better in the French film Ca$h, to which I think The Art of the Steal owes some perhaps unintentional credit. (If you have not seen Ca$h, you really should, and you can stream it here via Netflix).

Along the way, in what proves to be the most memorable moments in the film, we get a beautifully rendered re-enactment of what the movie explains was the famous heist of the Mona Lisa. Note the actors portraying the leads in this little five-minute film-within-a-film, as well as the lovely artistry that has gone into the recreation of this "event." (There's a fun segment on the Blu-ray's Bonus Extras showing how this was achieved.)

The Art of the Steal -- from Radius/TWC and running 90 minutes -- breaks no new ground but should certainly provide a nice evening's viewing. The Blu-ray and DVD hit the streets this Tuesday, May 6, and the film, I expect, will eventualy find itself on Netflix streaming, thanks to the recent deal between NF and TWC. (That's Jay Baruchel -- above right, with Mr. Russell -- who brings his usual goofy, funny charm to the movie.)