Like a Fish Out of Water (1999)

• 21% of users liked it
  (83 ratings)

A crime comedy that pays sly tribute to spy films of the 1960s, Comme Un Poisson Hors De L'Eau (aka Like a Fish Out of Water concerns Desire (Michel Muller), the nervous and bookish son of a prominent restaurateur. Desire has been corresponding with a lovely Italian woman, Myrtille (Monica… More A crime comedy that pays sly tribute to spy films of the 1960s, Comme Un Poisson Hors De L'Eau (aka Like a Fish Out of Water concerns Desire (Michel Muller), the nervous and bookish son of a prominent restaurateur. Desire has been corresponding with a lovely Italian woman, Myrtille (Monica Bellucci), who has accepted his offer of marriage. But when she arrives, Desire is surprised to discover that she's brought along a couple of friends, BB (Tcheky Karyo) and Melvin (Dominique Pinon). It seems Desire is an expert on exotic fish, and Myrtille and her friends are actually con artists who draft him into an elaborate scheme to rip off a Turkish gangster with an interest in rare aquatic species. Comme Un Poisson Hors De L'Eau marks the directorial debut of Herve Hadmar, who previously distinguished himself as a graphic artist; Michel Muller, who plays Desire, also co-wrote the film's screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi