When people talk about oeuvres in film, they usually celebrate the rogue visionaries who change the landscape of cinema with each new feature. These are the kinds of filmmakers who are festival darlings and have some of the most unique tastes in the industry. One such creative is Quentin Dupieux and once you see his work, you’ll never be the same.
I was a big fan of Wrong when it played at Fantastic Fest years ago. Well, like a fine wine he’s matured and in that time he’s taken his trademark style to the next level of absurdity. His latest is a farce about superheroes and there’s an inherent charm in the innocence to the story (like a child with a camera on the cusp of adulthood but doesn’t have everything all figured out). No filter, no agenda, just fun whatever the result. That’s kind of become Dupieux’s calling card.
Watching this at home with friends late one night we really enjoyed the off-the-wall humor and characters set in the non-linear story which had one rule: to throw out the rule book. In so doing, it becomes something akin to sketch comedy set against an ever-changing narrative through line. It certainly kept us guessing…but also kept me entertained and delighted.
We’ve admired his films for so long, so we jumped at the opportunity to have Quentin on the show to find out what makes him tick. Enjoy our interview and check out this delicious comedy asap. Spread the word, spread the word!! Allons-y!!
A wildly inventive new comedy from Quentin Dupieux (MANDIBLES, RUBBER), SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING follows the misadventures of a team of five superheroes known as the Tobacco Force – Benzene (Gilles Lellouche), Nicotine (Anaïs Demoustier), Methanol (Vincent Lacoste), Mercury (Jean-Pascal Zadi), and Ammonia (Oulaya Amamra). After a devastating battle against a diabolical giant turtle, the Tobacco Force is sent on a mandatory week-long retreat to strengthen their decaying group cohesion. Their sojourn goes wonderfully well until Lézardin, Emperor of Evil, decides to annihilate planet Earth.
Directed by Quentin Dupieux, the film stars Gilles Lellouche, Anaïs Demoustier, Vincent Lacoste, Jean-Pascal Zadi, and Oulaya Amamra and will be opening In Theaters and on VOD March 31, 2023.
