Just Visiting (2001)

Simply A Masterpiece

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Our family LOVES this movie. We can watch it over and over again. My husband laughs as hard each time as he did the first time. We bought the French original version but have yet to watch it. Our kids (millennials) love the line "I like every kind of dog"

Just Visiting (2001): Dir: Jean-Marie Gaubert / Cast: Jean Reno, Christian Clavier, Christina Applegate, Malcolm McDowell, Tara Reid: Comedy about the differences in generations as Jean Reno and Christian Clavier are transported through time to the present. Reno plays a Count and Clavier plays his loyal servant. Reno is set to marry the Princess but he is given a drink that causes him to become disoriented and he accidentally kills her. He is sentenced to death until a wizard transports them to present day where they encounter a woman who resembles the Princess. Reno claims that he must find a wizard so that he can be transported to the moment before he was given the drink. Typical plot follows the duo's mishaps with present day. Director Jean-Marie Gaubert is backed by fine comic chemistry between Reno and Clavier. They are given many hilarious moments as they struggle to adapt to present day. Reno must restore his position, and Clavier finds freedom. Malcolm McDowell as the wizard begins with the pitiful time travel introduction but from there he steals scenes with many amusing moments. Only Christina Applegate in duo roles is left with double the cardboard as both the Princess and the lookalike female. Tara Reid is also featured and this counts as yet another decline since her success in American Pie. This is a totally recycled slapstick visit. Score: 5 ½ / 10

This is among the many movies that I came across watching on CW. Since I've never seen the original, I can't comment on that nor can I say which of the two versions I think is superior, or which one I'd prefer over the other. But what I will state is this: This is on my top-movies- from-this-past-decade list! A 12th century French count known as Thibault of Malfete and noble servant named Andre turn to a wizard for help after Thibault's bride-to-be has a malevolent spell casted over her. But the wizardry goes wrong, and instead, the two are sent to 21st century Chicago. While there, they meet Thibault's descendant, Julia and as they explore the windy city and learn, and adjust to the latest technology, they try to find a way to return to their own home (and original time). But that's only if they can overcome some obstacles that may get in their way. This movie was/is so great that I just had to order and buy a copy of the DVD eventually. That's just how great it really is. There are never any signs of the feature's momentum of non-stop hilarity slowing down. Just watch for yourselves. Loved every minute of it.

My brother and I went to this movie and we were the only people in the theater. We laughed so hard I had to go outside of the theater. I thought I was going to pee in my pants it was so funny. I can't say enough about it. Leave your high falutin' film-going skills at the door and laugh. Go. Jean Reno is great both as a romantic character and as a comedian, but when you think of Leon or Ronin, you remember that he could definitely play for laughs. Christian Clavier is hilarious and excellent comedic actor who is unknown to the general US public. Finally, Applegate does some good work playing the straight man/woman. Finally, what was an interesting approach was to take a successful foreign comedy and redo it in the USA. But, they used the same director and actors. It translated well which is unusual for comedies- much harder to cross cultures.