LA CAGE AUX FOLLES II (1980)

The charming Renato (Ugo Tognazzi) and the lovely Albin (Michel Serrault) are back. This time around, Albin goes to an outdoor café to enjoy a mint cordial with water when suddenly a fleeing spy hides a capsule (with microfilm inside it) in Albin’s pocket right before he’s assassinated. I hate when that happens, it ruins your entire day. Anyway, problems arise and Albin and Renato must go on the run from the killers who want the information on the microfilm...that Albin doesn’t even know she has.

As far as sequels go, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES II is perfectly fine and a welcome addition to the adventures of Albin and Renato. At first I was kinda thrown off by the spy adventure stuff, since it’s such a wide departure from the first film, but then when I realized it was all just an excuse to get Albin out in public, I was onboard. Unfortunately, there are not as many laugh out loud scenes in this film as there was in the first installment, but there are a few genuine moments that had me laughing hard. The hardest was when Albin was dressing up as a rugged manly window washer. Fuck, I watched that scene like 20 times! The other part I really enjoyed is when they go to the old country in Italy to hide and Albin must dress up as a man as to not arouse suspicion. Hahaha. Classic.

I did miss the sweetness of the first film, but, hey, I just happy there’s a sequel at all. I’d watch a two-hour movie of Renato and Albin grocery shopping if that’s all there was. Recommended for fans of the first film.

[This might be a stretch, but, in my handsome brain, that iconic slow-motion walking scene in 1992's RESERVOIR DOGS looks a lot like the walking scene in LA CAGE AUX FOLLES II. I'm sure there are many people who say that scene is a play on A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, but...there was only four people walking in ACO. There are six characters in suits in RD and there are six men dressed up in LCAFII. Just an observation.]

[Not part of the review, but I don’t have a copy of Part 3. So, if y’all wanna review, then send me a disc of it. Thanks.]

Part 1 - La Cage aux Folles (1978)
Part 3 - La Cage aux Folles 3: The Wedding (1985)

Some lucky motherfuckers back in 1982 got to see a La Cage aux Folles double-feature!

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES (1978)

"Just one. Albin."

Saint-Tropez, France.  A middle-aged couple, Renato and Albin, have been together for 20 years and are still very much in love.  One evening, Renato's son Laurent (from a one-night fling two decades ago and whom they have raised) informs them that he's getting married.  They're not terribly excited since they think he is too young, but they are happy for him.  Their happiness turns to true concern though when they find out that Laurent's fiancee, Andrea, is the daughter of an ultra-conservative politician.  Even worse...the future in-laws are coming over for dinner and Andrea has not told her parents that Renato and Albin are gay men who also own the popular drag night club La Cage aux Folles (conveniently located right below their home).  Or that Albin is 24/7 a woman.

I cannot even tell you how hard I laughed at this movie.  I was fucking dying and there were multiple times that I had to rewind it just because I was laughing so hard.  The scene where Renato teaches Albin how to put butter on her toast in "a manly way" nearly killed me.  Oh my god, I'm fucking cracking up right now just thinking about it.  Anyway, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES is a wonderful film and I loved every single minute of it.  I was honestly shocked that it was 97 minutes long!  I couldn't believe it.  It went by so quickly that it felt like it was just getting started... and then it was over!

I could ramble on about this film (and maybe I'll edit in some more comments in the future), but for now I'll just say that LA CAGE AUX FOLLES is truly a beautiful film and I'm so happy that I watched it.  It might even make an interesting double-feature with 1941's LOVE CRAZY.

Part 2 - La Cage aux Folles II (1980)
Part 3 - La Cage aux Folles 3: The Wedding (1985)
Remake - The Birdcage (1996)

Some lucky motherfuckers back in 1982 got to see a La Cage aux Folles double-feature!