Movie royalty Mylène Demongeot has simply too much on her plate: a screening in Cannes, an invitation by general De Gaulle to a reception at the Elysée Palace, and then this splendid new house at the Bois de Boulogne that still needs so much work… ach, ach, ach. In-between it all Richard, a tiler and all-round gentle soul, who steals a precious piece of jewellery from madame to impress his girlfriend, Corinne. Things turn first haywire when the theft is noticed and Richard is forced to hide his loot in a guitar, then full frontal topsy-turvy when the young pair has to find that very same instrument chasing down a bunch of singers. Don’t ask, the story is bonkers – pure pop pulp.
The genius of Find the Idol lies in its mad mix of fiction and reality, with lots of celebrities playing (versions of) themselves, starting with Mylène Demongeot and including yéyé icon Sylvie Vartan, rock pioneers Johnny Hallyday and Eddy Mitchell, jazz and soul queen Nancy Holloway, as well as chansonnier exceptionnel Charles Aznavour, who also wrote a whooping ten original songs for the film, among them the classic “La Plus belle pour aller danser” (which became a no. 1 hit in Japan as “Idol o sagase”).
A too little seen gem by a master in dire need of discovery!
Olaf Möller