Film Review:Just Visiting (2001)

Just Visiting is the hilarious 2001 film in which a French knight, Tybalt and his loyal companion, Andre are mistakenly sent into the future by a clumsy wizard after a spell goes wrong after the death of Tybalt’s wife to be has been tragically poisoned.

The film was directed by French director Jean-Marie Poire, this being his first non-French Hollywood film and was distributed by Hollywood Pictures. The film was released April 8^th 2001 in America making a small $4,777,007 in its opening weekend. I personally enjoyed this film as it was hilarious and fun filled and thought it was interesting to see how the characters transported from the 12^th century reacted to the 21^st century lifestyle and brought with them their hilarious habits and ways of life from the past.

This is the type of film perfect for escapism and the type of film you will find yourself watching over and over and quoting constantly. Just Visiting is a remake of the French 1993 film Les Visiteurs and was remade in English years later and the story slightly adjusted the two leads Jeno Reno and Christian Clavier remained the same whereas the supporting cast was changed to a more well-known cast of Hollywood stars such as Tara Reid, Christina Applegate and Malcolm McDowell to drawn in an audience.

 My favourite scene is when Tybalt, Andre, Julia and Hunter go to an upscale restaurant and Andre must eat on the floor as he cannot eat at the same table as his ‘master’ – Tybalt. I think this scene is extremely funny when everyone in the restaurant is confused as to what is going on and Andre is shouting thank you for the scraps Tybalt gives to him and a little old lady. The camera work is very simple sticking to common codes and conventions of the comedy fantasy genre, I particularly like that when someone from the 21^st century or Tybalt is talking to Andre we generally see him from a high angle looking down to show his status but when he meets Angelique, his love interest in the film the angles become more steady and straight when she tells him he can be free and shouldn’t have to obey his Master. The film has been critiqued as being one of the worst time travel films (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQjaYbVlUUw) but I believe it is an excellent, hilarious, light hearted film that you can just watch and not have to think too hard, just sit back and enjoy.