Le Vieil Homme et l'Enfant (The Two of Us) (The Old Man and the Boy) (1968)
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100% of critics liked it
(8 reviews) -
87% of users liked it
(714 ratings)
Having been forced into minor parts for several years by a debilitating illness, veteran film actor Michel Simon made a triumphant return to leading roles in the charming, poignant The Two of Us (Le Vieil Homme et L'Enfant). Simon plays a likeable old soak with one significant character flaw: he… More Having been forced into minor parts for several years by a debilitating illness, veteran film actor Michel Simon made a triumphant return to leading roles in the charming, poignant The Two of Us (Le Vieil Homme et L'Enfant). Simon plays a likeable old soak with one significant character flaw: he is a flagrant anti-Semite. During the Nazi occupation of Paris, 8-year-old Jewish lad Alain Cohen is sent to the country, there to live with the parents of his family's Catholic friends. One of those parents is, inevitably, Simon. Taking a liking to Alain, and unaware that the boy is Jewish, Simon attempts to introduce the lad to the doctrine of anti-Semitism. The boy plays along with the old man, teasing him about his prejudices. Despite their obvious philosophical differences, Simon and Alain form a strong and affectionate bond. Director Claude Berri, whose films have often touched upon the Jewish experience in France, once more draws from his own experiences to weave a sensitive, seriocomic scenario. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Claude Berri
- Written By
- Claude Berri, Gérard Brach
- Genres
- Drama, Art House & International, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Jun 1, 1967 Limited
- Studio
- Rialto
Critic Reviews
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Marta Barber, Miami Herald
Overall the acting as well as the cinematography is a treat.
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Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
A heart-warming movie that showcases one of the last performances of the great Michel Simon.
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Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times
You're unaware of the film's power until the ending (well-earned and happy) hits you with an unexpected well of emotion.
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Leslie Camhi, Village Voice
Some may find Berri's portrait of provincial France and its prejudices too loving, but it has the ring of a truth that escapes ideologies.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Greatly enhanced by the virtuoso performance of the 72-year-old Michel Simon.
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Cast
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Michel Simon
as Pepe
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Alain Cohen
as Claude
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Charles Denner
as Claude's Father
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Roger Carel
as Victor
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Luce Fabiole
as "Granny"
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Zorica Lozic
as Claude's Mother
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Jacqueline Rouillard
as Teacher
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Sylvine Delannoy
as Suzanne
- Denise Péron
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Marco Perrin
as The Priest
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Paul Préboist
as Maxime
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Elisabeth Rey
as Dinou Maxime's daughter
- Aline Bertrand