Focus on the cult comedy “Un jour sans fin”, whose improbable story is reminiscent of our current confined daily life. A classic to (re) discover on Amazon Prime Video.
Like many people without doubt, for a while already in these confined times, you have a little the impression of living and reliving the same day over and over again. A very special experience which is reminiscent of (we exaggerate a little) that experienced by journalist Phil Connors in the film Un jour sans fin, available on the Amazon Prime Video service.
In this cult comedy, released in theaters in 1993, Phil Connors, a proud and contemptuous weather manager, sets off to do his annual report in the town of Punxsutawney where “Groundhog Day” is celebrated. Forced to spend one more night in this lost city, he will find himself condemned to relive the same day indefinitely …
Classic written and directed by Harold Ramis (Doctor Egon Spengler from the Ghostbusters saga), Un jour sans fin is one of those somewhat magical films that we are able to see and re-watch without ever getting bored. Unstoppable basic pitch, high-level writing, masterful interpretation of a Bill Murray at the top of his game … It’s hard to resist this little gem of humor whose comic progression is a must in the matter.
Clearly, we experience a constantly renewed pleasure to get up at the same time as Phil Connors, to see his behavior evolve over the days in the face of this infernal time loop started at 6 o’clock sharp by the tube I got you babe by Sonny and Cher. Want to hit the one who annoys him every morning? To get behind the wheel of a car to jump off a cliff? Don’t even worry about being turned away by the one you love (Andie MacDowell)? In short, ignore all the consequences?
Everything is allowed since all the counters will be reset to zero the next day. Frankly jubilant … until Phil realizes that he will only get out of this ordeal by using this time given to him to become better. Perhaps a good lesson to learn from our current, dreary and repetitive daily life … What if we too took advantage of this not so enchanting parenthesis to question ourselves?
With $ 70 million in revenue worldwide, Un jour sans fin was not really a success in theaters. But today, the film, during the filming of which Bill Murray was bitten by two real groundhogs (bad day for him, really …), is a 100% cult work. A top-of-the-range entertainment as funny as it is intelligent, handling satire wonderfully, which it would be a shame not to enjoy again in this complicated period. Come on … Get up, campers!
False Match – “Ghostbusters” & “Un jour sans fin”: