"La Cage aux Folles" is a gay French/Italian farce about Renato Baldi (Ugo Tognazzi) and Albin Mougeotte (Michel Serrault) who run a transvestite club in Saint-Tropez. Renato's son Laurent (Rémi Laurent) comes home to inform him he is getting married. Because his father lives a very openly gay lifestyle with Albin, a drag queen who performs in his club, Laurent is concerned that his father make a good impression on his fiancée's conservative family, who are involved in politics and very concerned about negative publicity. The fiancée, Andrea Charrier (Luisa Maneri), has lied to her family by claiming Laurent's father is a cultural attaché. The lie is ultimately exposed when the families meet. The groom's father invites the mother, Simone (Claire Maurier), to come, but then Albin decides to dress up as a woman and pretend to be the mother, and the result is classic farce. When the truth is out and the bride's parents start to storm out in anger, they discover that the press are outside waiting. The only way they can leave is by way of the gay club they hate and do it in drag to escape detection. Simon Charrier (Mechel Galibru), father of the bride, who has been fuming all day about "the honor of his party", is suddenly forced to dress up like a woman. When he confronts his conniving chauffeur (Venantino Venantini), who has been accepting bribes to give tips to the press about his employer's whereabouts, he punches him in the face.
"La Cage" (subtitled "Birds of a Feather" on the American poster) was for years the most successful foreign film to be released in the US. It's an adaptation of the 1973 play by Jean Poiret. Michel Serrault as Albin also starred in the original stage production. The film score was composed by Ennio Morricone, Frances Veber wrote the screen play and Édouard Molinaro directed. A 1983 Broadway musical titled "La Cage aux Folles" based on the play and the film was quite successful. In 1996, an American remake entitled "The Birdcage" was released, starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane.
"La Cage aux Folles II" (1980) is the very funny sequel. Ugo Tognazzi and Michel Serrault reprise their roles and this time take on the secret service in a cross-country and cross-dressing adventure. To make Renato jealous, Albin waits in a local café dressed as a woman hoping to be picked up. He gets more than he bargains for when a spy uses him as an courier of secret microfilm. On the run from ruthless agents, Albin and Renato flee to Italy where they hide out on a farm with Albin posing as Renato's wife. Once again scripted by Francis Veber and directed by Édouard Molinaro.
"La Cage aux Folles 3: The Wedding" (1985) is a disappointing second sequel. Michel Serrault and Ugo Tognazzi reprise their roles in the French/Italian sex farce series. The plot is about the gay night club facing financial ruin. Their only hope is an inheritance from one of Albin’s wealthy relatives. Unfortunately, the inheritance is conditional upon Albin getting married and producing an heir within 18 months. It's funny, entertaining, and enjoyable, with atrocious dubbing. It lacks charm, good jokes, is filled with clichés, and the wit and magic are gone. Scripted by Michel Audiard and Christine Carère, it was directed by Georges Lautner.
"La Cage" (subtitled "Birds of a Feather" on the American poster) was for years the most successful foreign film to be released in the US. It's an adaptation of the 1973 play by Jean Poiret. Michel Serrault as Albin also starred in the original stage production. The film score was composed by Ennio Morricone, Frances Veber wrote the screen play and Édouard Molinaro directed. A 1983 Broadway musical titled "La Cage aux Folles" based on the play and the film was quite successful. In 1996, an American remake entitled "The Birdcage" was released, starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane.
"La Cage aux Folles II" (1980) is the very funny sequel. Ugo Tognazzi and Michel Serrault reprise their roles and this time take on the secret service in a cross-country and cross-dressing adventure. To make Renato jealous, Albin waits in a local café dressed as a woman hoping to be picked up. He gets more than he bargains for when a spy uses him as an courier of secret microfilm. On the run from ruthless agents, Albin and Renato flee to Italy where they hide out on a farm with Albin posing as Renato's wife. Once again scripted by Francis Veber and directed by Édouard Molinaro.
"La Cage aux Folles 3: The Wedding" (1985) is a disappointing second sequel. Michel Serrault and Ugo Tognazzi reprise their roles in the French/Italian sex farce series. The plot is about the gay night club facing financial ruin. Their only hope is an inheritance from one of Albin’s wealthy relatives. Unfortunately, the inheritance is conditional upon Albin getting married and producing an heir within 18 months. It's funny, entertaining, and enjoyable, with atrocious dubbing. It lacks charm, good jokes, is filled with clichés, and the wit and magic are gone. Scripted by Michel Audiard and Christine Carère, it was directed by Georges Lautner.
