A playwright's attempt to hide a murder goes hilariously wrong in this 1971 classic
In short: When a desperate playwright accidentally kills his blackmailer, he thinks he has the perfect solution: burying the body in his new garden pavilion. But the plan unravels when he discovers his victim was an imposter, leading to a frantic, farcical struggle to dispose of the corpse while dodging persistent police.
Released in 1971, the French comedy Jo follows Antoine Brisebard, a playwright struggling with blackmail due to his wife Sylvie's connection to a notorious criminal. Brisebard, played by Louis de Funès, decides to eliminate his extortionist, known as Jo. However, the plan goes awry when Brisebard accidentally kills a man he believes is Jo, only to later discover the victim was actually Riri, a criminal associate who had already murdered the real Jo elsewhere. The situation spirals into chaos as Brisebard attempts to hide the body within the foundation of a new pavilion, which proves to be poorly constructed.
The narrative is based on the 1958 play The Gazebo by Alec Coppel, marking the second film adaptation of the work following the 1959 American version. Directed by Jean Girault, the production was handled by the European arm of MGM. While the film was a modest success, selling over 2.4 million tickets in France, it was considered a smaller achievement for Louis de Funès compared to his usual box office hits. Critics of the time were divided; they frequently lauded the comedic performance of de Funès but were notably critical of Girault's direction.
The film's humor relies heavily on the frantic, escalating efforts of the couple to conceal the body from a parade of unwanted guests, including the persistent inspector Ducros. In a final, desperate act, Brisebard attempts to dispose of the corpse by pushing a car off a cliff, only to realize the wreckage lands near the inspector's campsite. The film concludes with a frantic chase across the landscape. Interestingly, Girault later admitted that the lead actor was responsible for approximately 60% of the gags featured in the movie, highlighting the extent to which de Funès shaped the final comedic output.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Jo (film)
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