Review: 'A Pain In The Ass' Starts Slow, but Reaches Comic Heights

French director Édouard Molinaro received two surprise Oscar nominations in 1979 for his très gay farce "La Cage aux Folles," on which he was co-writer and director. In a year that saw formidable films like "The China Syndrome," "Manhattan," and "Being There," his directing nomination, in particular, was a stunner.

"La Cage" would be adapted into a Tony-winning Broadway musical in 1984 and then beget a highly successful Americanized film version in 1996, directed by Mike Nichols, that would win the SAG Ensemble Award.

Molinaro was mostly a comedic niche filmmaker in the '60s and '70s, and much of his success in the '80s and 90s was on French television.

Francis Veber, another co-writer on the "La Cage" film, started out as a playwright and screenwriter, and would eventually direct a host of hilarious comedies, including "La Chèvre," "Les Compères" and "Three Fugitives."

In 1973, Veber adapted his play, "Le contrat" for the screen, with Molinaro directing. The new title would be "L'emmerdeur" (English title: "A Pain in the Ass," although it literally means "The Troublemaker").

The farcical film begins rather explosively, with a bomb going off in a car, meant to kill an informer. Sadly, someone else is blown to bits, and assassin Ralph Milan (Lino Ventura) is hired to get the job done right. Milan checks into a hotel room outside a courthouse where the intended victim will arrive later in the day. As he preps his weapon, he is interrupted by the attempted suicide of François Pignon (Jacques Brel), a sad shirt salesman in the adjacent room. Pignon's endeavor is stymied when the water pipes he is using to hang himself break, causing a flood that makes its way into Milan's room. Annoyed, but thinking smartly, Milan decides to look after Pignon so the police won't get involved. What ensues is an initially mildly funny caper that builds in zaniness as Pignon proves worthy of the film's American title.

The oddball buddying that develops is priceless.

Veber is a master with comedic dialogue and creating situations that build to side-splitting hilarity. A car accident and a screaming pregnant woman had me in stitches.

Ventura (who bears a striking resemblance to Tony Bennett) proves the perfect stone-cold contract killer straight man, rarely breaking that tone.

Popular Belgian singer Brel is a scene-stealing wonder, portraying a buffoon pining for his wife and tugging at our hearts in the process.

FYI: The film was remade as "Buddy Buddy" in 1981 with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, marking Billy Wilder's last film. It was not well-received at the time of its release, and Wilder could never again get financing for a film. The film was remade a second time in 2008, with Veber both writing and directing. That was also unsuccessful.

Kudos to Kino Lorber for another great visual and audio transfer. The Blu-ray is a Brand New 2K Master release, and includes the theatrical trailer as well as critic Nick Pinkerton providing welcome audio commentary. His informative tracks are always filled with terrific tidbits about the films he is covering and the creatives involved.

"A Pain in the Ass" will eventually give you a pain in your sides from laughing so much (sorry, I had to) though you'll have to be patient with the first 30 minutes of set-up.

"A Pain in the Ass" is available now on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.