Barnes & Noble

A wry portrayal of gay stereotypes animates La Cage aux Folles, the superb French comedy directed by Edouard Molinaro. Based on a French stage play, La Cage follows a middle-aged gay couple -- the owner of a gay nightclub (Ugo Tognazzi) and the star of the club's transvestite revue (Michel Serrault) -- who agree to conceal their flamboyantly gay lifestyle in order to impress the parents of the girl the club owner's son intends to marry. Despite the nightclub setting, the transvestite stage show takes a backseat here to the domestic comedy and the superb work of Serrault and Tognazzi, with the latter's low-key performance working as a perfect foil for his partner's marvelously detailed gay affectations. They make a fascinatingly believable couple, and the depth of their 20-year relationship keeps the sex farce from boiling over. La Cage inspired two sequels, a Broadway musical and a Hollywood remake, but the original's effortless, crowd-pleasing charm ensures its place among the classics. Gregory Baird

All Movie Guide

An international comedy sensation based on a successful French stage play, La Cage aux Folles depicts the farcical chaos that results when a gay man attempts to pose as straight for the benefit of his son's future in-laws. Renato (Ugo Tognazzi) owns a popular nightclub and is the long-time lover of Zaza (Michel Serrault), a female impersonator who is the club's main attraction. Unfortunately, Renato's son Laurent (Remy Laurent) has told none of this to his future father-in-law, an important figure in a morally conservative political organization. Not wanting to ruin his son's chance of happiness, Renato agrees to pose as a straight man, but he finds his familiar habits, and those of the even more flamboyant Zaza, getting in the way at every turn. Zaza is the one who comes up with what he thinks is an ideal solution: he'll dress in drag and pose as Renato's wife. Naturally, the plan does not pan out as expected. La Cage aux Folles' pleasant, unthreatening comic sensibility attracted a large mainstream audience in both Europe and the United States, which was at the time unusual for a film with a homosexual theme. Indeed, the film was popular enough to inspire two remakes: a stage musical and, nearly two decades later, the Hollywood comedy The Birdcage with Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, and Gene Hackman. Judd Blaise

Product Details

• UPC: 027616864475
• Source: MGM (VIDEO & DVD)
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Vistavision (1.66:1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital, monaural
• Language: English, Français
• Subtitles: English, Français, Español
• Time: 1:37:00
• Sales Rank: 2,806

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• United Artists Super Deluxe Gift Set (90 films)
• Cage Aux Folles/Birdcage

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