Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Tchao pantin Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 29, 2024

While the American title of this Claude Berri film is typically translated as So Long, Stooge, it really wouldn't be stretching things too dramatically to say that the Americanized title of another celebrated film by Berri, namely The Two of Us, might have sufficed as well for this outing. That said, there's arguably a trio of characters at the center of this story, though the focus from an emotional standpoint is on the relationship between an older gas station attendant named Lambert (Coluche, César Award winner for Best Actor for this performance) and a younger man named Bensoussan (Richard Anconina, feted with two Césars, for Best Supporting Actor and Most Promising Newcomer). While described in some of the supplements as a noir, that aspect probably only really suffuses the story after a calamitous event that won't be spoiled in this review, other than to say that it sets Lambert on a precarious quest for vengeance, even if it's not completely clear at the outset of this quest exactly why Lambert is so dedicated to revenge.

Lambert comes off initially as a somewhat gruff guy who works the graveyard shift and who doesn't suffer fools, or indeed anyone, gladly. A seemingly random interaction with the hangdog Bensoussan seems to spark some humanity in the older man, however, and the first part of Tchao Pantin documents the perhaps unexpected friendship that develops between these two oddly mismatched characters. Bensoussan's criminal activities ultimately get him into hot water, which is when Lambert attempts to help. Suffice it to say that things don't go according to "plan", though that said, it's patently obvious that Bensoussan really doesn't have a plan, either for getting out of his current predicament or for his life in general. Lambert ends up teaming with a proto-punk type named Lola (Agnès Soral, César nominated twice for this performance and as female newcomer, and looking more than a little like Courtney Love) to try to set things right. Again, suffice it to say things don't go according to plan.

Berri's films can move at their own pace, and Tchao Pantin is no exception in that regard. This is arguably a film more about character than narrative per se, and as such it's probably best to not worry about where the story is "going" and simply indulge in the palpable sense of time and place that Berri affords.

Tchao pantin Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Tchao Pantin is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Radiance Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.66:1. Some prefatory text before the feature presentation states that Pathé restored the film in 2014, but Radiance's insert booklet provides a bit more information on the transfer, as follows:

Tchao Pantin was restored in 4K from the original camera negative by Pathé in 2014, under the supervision of cinematographer Bruno Nuytten. The film was delivered to Radiance as a high definition digital file and is presented in its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio with the original mono audio mix.

Cinematographer Bruno Nuytten took home his own César for his work on the film, and his moody work is extremely well supported by this presentation. The film is literally awash in water a lot of the time, with an emphasis on wintry rain and stormy skies, and there's therefore an emphasis on cooler tones, to the point that a lot of this transfer is kind of suffused with a blue undertone. That is countered at times with an at least relatively warmer tendency toward yellows in some exterior scenes in particular. There's a really appealingly organic appearance, with a somewhat thick but still pleasantly resolved grain field. Detail levels are typically strong. There are some passing deficits in shadow definition in some of the darkest material, especially when some of the blue grading is dominant.

Tchao pantin Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Tchao Pantin features an LPCM 2.0 Mono track in the original French. There's a quasi-verité feel at times to this film, especially in its sound design which can focus on "everyday" sounds of an urban existence. That aforementioned onslaught of stormy weather also provides some opportunities for ambient environmental sounds to populate the track. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Tchao pantin Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Michael Abecassis (HD; 7:27) features the French film scholar offering an introduction to the film.


• Once Upon a Time. . . Tchao Pantin (HD; 51:43) is a really interesting French television documentary about the making of the film, which gets into some of the personal trials and tribulations of Coluche and Berri while also contextualizing the film within the general cultural zeitgeist of France in the 1980s. Subtitled in English.


• Trailer (HD; 1:30)

Radiance provides another nicely appointed insert booklet, with the typical technical and cast/crew information, as well as an interesting essay by Manual Lazic focusing on Coluche. The keepcase features a reversible sleeve and has Radiance's traditional obi strip.

Tchao pantin Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tchao Pantin is a film with a veritable universe being offered almost subtextually and/or subliminally at time. Berri very smartly weaves in then current sociopolitical ideas into what is essentially (in its first two acts, at least) a "two hander" between Lambert and Bensoussan. In somewhat typical fashion, Berri takes his time putting all the pieces in place, before lacerating the viewer with a couple of gut punches that probably resonate even better due to the wait. Technical merits are first rate, and the supplements very enjoyable. Highly recommended.