A Monkey in Winter (1962) (2025)

Popular reviews

• Review by sakana1 ★★ 13

  A Monkey in Winter is about boorish drunks we're expected to find charming and hilarious, how a long-suffering, loyal wife is a burden who keeps a man from all of the drinking he should get to do, and how men can drink way to much, break into a school and nearly blow up a town, then face zero consequences for their actions.

  Not for me, thanks.

• Review by Margaux ★★★★½ 5

  i want to start off by saying i have absolutely no idea how to rate this. i'm not sure it deserves this many stars, and i know i didn’t like its first few minutes much because of how long it takes for things to get into place. but i actually really did love the rest. especially the end.

  jean gabin is superb (but i mean, to be honest, when is he not?) and jean-paul belmondo is excellent too. they make a terrific duo. gabin plays an hotel keeper who has sworn to never drink again while belmondo is an advertising executive who, when he gets drunk, becomes the most stereotyped spanish man there is. flamenco, bullfights with cars and a…

• Review by Jimmy B. ★★★★½

  My understanding is that this was moderately well-received upon its release, but based on this film alone it's insane to me that Henri Verneuil was considered nothing more than a vessel for star vehicles in France, thus his films getting no exposure overseas. This film walks a high-wire act balancing a somber look at alcoholism with a hilarious hangout movie, and Verneuil's grip is really tight; never letting it slip into sentimentality or tone deafness. The black-and-white photography is gorgeous and Belmondo is absolutely unhinged here (pretty crazy to think this was a star vehicle at all, but both he and Jean Gabin deliver in spades).

  I'd never heard of Verneuil before MoMI announced this retrospective, so huge props to them for introducing this film to me on a 16mm print they brought from overseas.

• Review by avokiddo ★★★★

  "tu m'emmerdes gentiment, affectueusement, avec amour, mais tu m'emmerdes"

• Review by Frédérick Pageau ★★★★★

  À part pour mentionner que la scène des feux d'artifice me restera en tête longtemps, je laisserai quelques dialogues parler à ma place, de la nécessité de voir ce film délicieusement doux-amer :

  
  '' Nous on paye plus. On n'connaît plus, on n'salue plus, on méprise! ''

  
  '' Les gastronomes disent que c'est une maison d'passe, et les vicelards, un restaurant chinois. ''

  
  '' La pyrotechnie, messieurs, exige un savoir livresque et un tour de main absolument insoupçonnable. ''

  
  '' Tu m'emmerdes gentiment, affectueusement, avec amour, mais tu m'emmerdes. ''

  
  '' Dis-toi bien que si quelque chose devait m'manquer, ce s'rait plus l'vin, ce s'rait l'ivresse. ''

  
  Et j'en passe des répliques de fou, des aussi bonnes et des meilleures!!!

• Review by ana ★★★★

  oh i loved this! jean gabin and jean-paul belmondo are an incredible pair, complementing each other so well, especially towards the end. so many funny moments from belmondo that i can watch all day (anytime he spoke a word of spanish, i melted a little), he's just a star here! and i want to give him a big big big hug <3

• Review by prrrrrrrrg ★★★★½

  I'd also ruin my life for one great night with jean-paul belmondo so that's relatable

• Review by trolleyfreak ★★★★½ 5

  'Travellers are made to travel. The weather doesn't count..' (Jean Gabin as Albert Quentin)
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  Brief Synopsis: A teetotal hotelier (Gabin) bonds with a hard-drinking younger man (Jean-Paul Belmondo) in an out-of-season coastal resort.
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  Verdict: Two titans of French cinema from different generations are brought together for a mournful study of a developing friendship, clouded with nostalgia for the past and dreams of the future. Plot takes a back seat to concentrate on the character of these men and the sharply written, sardonic script - provided by François Boyer and Michel Audiard from a recent novel by Anotine Blondin - is poetic, amusing and very, very appealing. As good as the writing is, the success of the picture depends…

• Review by Hugo ★★★★ 3

  Envie de me prendre une cuite MO-NU-MEN-TALE

• Review by naomi ★★★★

  drunk jean-paul belmondo was SOOOO cute in this u guys like i need to be his wife

• Review by Nyks ★★★½

  "Si quelque chose devait me manquer, ce ne serait plus le vin, ce serait l'ivresse !"
  Sûrement la plus belle réplique de l'Histoire du cinéma français.

• Review by Leavingfilmstrk ★★★★½

  I couldn't love a movie more.