WARNING: Contains some plot details This film is a good example of why French films often don't make the transition to American films. The 1993 French original, "Les Visiteurs," was for many years the all time box office champion in France. It succeeded on a number of levels. First, it was a clever time travel film about a French knight and his serf who travel from medieval days to modern day France and meet their ancestors -- a Back To The Future in reverse. Second, it was a charming fantasy with almost Disney like qualities, especially in the 20th century, when our French knight and his serf find kind and sympathetic help from Beatrice, the only one among their descendants who really believes who they are. Third, and perhaps most significant, it was a clever satire about French society. Imagine when our medieval knight makes it to modern times only to discover that his castle is now owned by the descendants of his serf. What follows is a delightful story that is a humorous and often poignant commentary on who and what we are. Sadly, most of that was lost in this American remake --not that the producers didn't try to retain the same magic. They brought in the same two principal actors, and much of the same production crew. It appears, however, that they made one big mistake in the hiring of John Hughes as a writer. What you see here looks too much like a Chicago based John Hughes brat pack film and not enough like an ingenious comedy satire. In addition, much of the Disney like awe and fantasy are also gone. (Ironic, since this was a Disney film.) Instead, our American actors are too hip and streetwise to care as much as they should about what they are experiencing. (So why then should we care?) Given all of the rewriting going on in Hollywood these days, it may or may not have been all John Hughes' fault. Nevertheless, a real opportunity was squandered here, as what was so powerfully stated in the original film was lost in this translation. What we learn about film making once again is that writing is the key element. In the case of adapting a foreign film, it takes an intimate understanding of both cultures to pull it off. When it works, it can be wonderful. Other times, not so wonderful.
Review of Just Visiting
