Mr. Bean's Holiday
Movie Review
"Mr. Bean's Holiday"
Review by Eric D. Snider
Grade: B
Rating: G
Released: Friday, August 24, 2007
Directed by:
Cast:
Rowan Atkinson's Mr. Bean character was a hit when he debuted on British television in 1990. Then came the misguided 1997 feature film, which tried to Hollywoodize the character, ruined much of his appeal, and turned Mr. Bean into a comedy pariah. People began to roll their eyes at Mr. Bean, dismissing him as a lame, unfunny annoyance.
But in the beginning, he was funny! And "Mr Bean's Holiday" overlooks the 1997 misfire and gets back to the roots of the character. It recalls the sketches that comprised the original TV series, the ones that were full of brilliant physical comedy and genuinely funny slapstick. While it's not a perfect film, and though the case could be made that Mr. Bean is better in TV-sized doses, "Holiday" has a lot of innocent fun and hearty laughs.
The story has Mr. Bean winning a trip to the French Riviera in a church raffle, and of course his journey to Cannes (coinciding with the film festival there) is fraught with hijinks and misadventures. In particular, Bean accidentally causes a young boy (Max Baldry) to become separated from his father (Karel Roden) at a train station, and thus feels an obligation to help reunite them. The boy is mischievous, too, and he and Bean become partners in crime. Or partners in hijinks, anyway. Except Bean does steal a bicycle at one point. So I guess it is crime.
Bean is a throwback to the characters of the early silent films, and Atkinson's amazing physical prowess and impeccable timing help him compare favorably with Chaplin, Keaton, etc. The character rarely speaks. There's not much dialogue around him, either -- indeed, most of the TV sketches and this film could easily work as silent pictures, accompanied only by music and occasional intertitles. I think Atkinson's obvious affection for -- and mastery of -- those old comedy techniques has been overlooked by many of his critics.
"Holiday" was directed by Steve Bendelack -- a regular in the British TV comedy world with a keen eye for visual humor -- and written by Hamish McColl and longtime Bean contributor Robin Driscoll. Not every bit is a home run; my patience wears thin for sequences of Bean inadvertently destroying other people's property, for example. But a high percentage of the scenarios are solidly funny, with Atkinson always fully committed to the moment, no matter how bizarre or absurd it may be.
I also note that this is the first "family-friendly" comedy I've seen in a while that did not contain a single fart. You learn to appreciate minor achievements like that when you see a lot of "family-friendly" comedies.
Finally, let me mention a secondary character in the film, a beautiful young French actress, Sabine (Emma de Caunes), whom Bean keeps running into. She is trying to make it to Cannes, too, because she has a small part in a film playing at the festival, directed by a pretentious American filmmaker named Carson Clay (Willem Dafoe, gamely mocking himself). We catch glimpses of the movie, and what we see is a surprisingly astute parody of introspective indie dramas, with dialogue such as "What is life but a teardrop in the eye of infinity?"
I like the subtle jab there. "Mr Bean's Holiday" is very short on words and is meant to be a light, fun experience. Contrast that with the artsy Cannes fare and its incessant, stifling dialogue. Look down on Señor Bean if you choose, but would you rather sit through something talky and dull like Carson Clay's movie? I've had enough of that, thank you. Bring on the guy getting his tie stuck in a vending machine!
Grade: B
Rated G, nothing objectionable
1 hr., 25 min.
Copyright © Eric D. Snider.
This work may not be transmitted via the Internet, nor reproduced in any other way, without written consent from Eric D. Snider.
This item has 16 comments
August 23, 2007 at 10:52 pm
Good to hear that this movie gets Mr. Bean back to basics. I loved the TV show during my high school years.
Anybody ever see that one-man show TV special Rowan Atkinson did several years ago? That was awesome.
August 24, 2007 at 9:40 am
Wow, I think it's going to be fantastic! I can't wait to see it!
August 24, 2007 at 9:41 am
I was actually shocked by this review. I like Mr.Bean and all, but I was expecting an even farther trip down into the basement of cinema history judging by the trend his first movie took.
Maybe I should consider seeing it :)
In the mean time, if you're familiar with Mr.Bean, or even if you don't know who the heck he is or what his style of comedy is, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNBi2PATwqc. It's Mr.Bean's Guide to Dating, which could almost be a short film all by itself.
August 24, 2007 at 10:01 am
I'm glad to hear this is better than the 1997 film. I live in L.A. and I love this country, but when I go to see a British comedy I don't want the whole thing to take place in L.A. and be completely devoid of British accents!
August 24, 2007 at 11:45 am
I don't know much about Mr. Bean, but from the description, and the title, this is a big throwback to an earlier French character called Mr. Hulot, and his film "Mr. Hulot's Holiday." His character also talks little and his films are also reminiscant of silent slapstick films.
August 24, 2007 at 1:14 pm
BeeDub--was that one-man show the one where he "plays" the drums, with all of the sound effects coming from offstage? That WAS awesome!
August 24, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Am I the only sane person here you thinks Rowan Atkinson, in all forms (Mr. Bean, Rat Race, etc), is annoying? I can appreciate the talent it must take to do what he does, but I get annoyed just sitting through the trailer for this movie. I couldn't imagine actually sitting through an hour and a half of it. I have no patience for this type of stuff.
August 24, 2007 at 5:24 pm
spritelyjim - You are correct in your correlating Mr. Bean to Hulot. That character was a huge inspiration to Rowan Atkinson and his Mr. Bean character. The title is definitely both a reference and an homage to the older character.
August 25, 2007 at 3:43 pm
"Chaplin, Keaton, etc." Why the devil does no one remember Harold Lloyd who was a bigger star in the '20s than either of them?
As for the original movie, I thought it was a little boring, but only because he was using the exact same gags (including the stuck turkey on his head) as in the TV series. Nothing new.
Argus: keep in mind that "Bean" wasn't created for an Amercian audience. Setting the film in LA was supposed to give its original British audience a new venue to observe Bean in, particularly given how out of place he would be in Amercia. I remember when Rowan was doing the late night circuit and basically said he didn't care how well "Bean" did in America because it had already made a bazillion dollars in Britain, which is where it was first released of course. He isn't making these films for us Americans, who British people just assume don't "get" their humor anyway and see it as lost on us. We just get the film in our theaters when everyone in Europe is done with it and they're looking for a few extra bucks to make.
Snow: if those are the only two roles you've seen him in (possible, if you're restricting yourself to the American-released media), you would likely not be impressed with him as a comedian of such low-brow fare. I highly recommend the Blackadder series, particularly the third and fourth (Hugh Laurie The Nitwit is just as much a joy to watch in these). I continue to hold firm that Blackadder shows his true talent for higher-brow British comedy and his personal deadpan wit and sarcasm.
August 25, 2007 at 9:15 pm
Cafe - that's the one. In fact...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=fJQNKIePGMQ
August 26, 2007 at 6:26 am
This is the second review of yours I've read where you voice your disapproval of farts. Every real man knows there are unending laughs from "pull my finger" no matter how many times it's done. Just ask my wife....ha ha.
Seriously though, I was unimpressed with the first movie but may watch this one based on your endosement.
August 26, 2007 at 8:08 pm
The drum one is always great. Personally, my favorites were always "Fatal Beatings" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBeguUvuDzs&NR=1 and "Welcome to Hell." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJA9RPX9mRY&mode=related&search=
August 28, 2007 at 11:20 am
Turkey: If you are correct about the reason Bean was set in LA, I don't mind so much. I saw setting the film in LA as a blatant attempt to pander to Americans, and I was insulted that the filmmakers (I assumed) thought I wouldn't bother with a movie set in another country. When the film bombed in the US, despite raking in money in Europe, I smugly thought it served them right for pandering so shamelessly. If I have misjudged the filmmakers... Oops.
August 29, 2007 at 5:31 pm
Watch Blackadder if you don't like R.A in 'Bean.' You'll be amazed how his persona completely changes!
August 31, 2007 at 3:32 pm
I found it hilarious that Carson Clay made a movie that was all about...well, him.
September 3, 2007 at 10:49 am
While I never really cared for "Mr. Bean" on television, a German friend of mine and I opted to see this film last night, partly because we wanted to watch something that was funny and not too heavy on dialogue. And I'm glad we chose it. Atkinson's character was a lot funnier than I had remembered and while the film did have a few sequences that dragged a little, the whole was very, very funny.
One thing I couldn't understand was the number of really young children present at our 9:50 PM screening. Yes, it was G-rated film, but that doesn't mean it's for the pre-tween set, let alone the preschool set. I haven't seen a fidgetier theater since "Elmo in Grouchland". Admittedly, I saw it in Northern Virginia, but I have to think that this sort of parenting must be going elsewhere too. Weird.