Apart from his gifts as writer/director, Claude Sautet possessed the ability to reinvent himself. A gap of five years ensued after the disappointing 'Guns for the Dictator' and nothing could prepare us for the miracle that is 'Les Choses de ma Vie.' This ushered in an extraordinarily rich phase during which he formed close relationships with, amongst others, the wondrous Romy Schneider(undoubtedly his muse) Yves Montand and Michel Piccoli, as well as having the immeasurable support of writer Jean-Loup Dabadie and composer Philippe Sarde. A complete change of tack came with the austere 'Mauvais Fils' with Patrick Dewaere. Devastated by the deaths of Romy Schneider and Dewaere, he again re-tuned his strings and resumed five years later with three understated and beautifully constructed films, the last of which is an undisputed masterpiece.
The question here of course is where does 'Garcon' fit into the scheme of things? It is certainly not a great film, least of all by Sautet's standards and is one most likely to be forgotten. It was the only one of his output, apart from his first, 'Bonjour Sourire', which no one seems to have seen(!) not to be included in the BFI's retrospective of a few years back.
It is lightweight to be sure but is both touching and appealing, mainly due to the presence of Yves Montand. He and Sautet had obviously clicked from the outset and although this is by far the least of the three films they made together, Montand's performance as a not-so-young waiter whose philosophy regarding women seems to be 'Service est compris', is one of his most beguiling, endearing and yes, enchanting. Colourful characters abound and the camerawork, especially in the restaurant scenes, is superlative. Being a Sautet film there is of course a certain melancholy and a realisation that relationships are ephemeral, especially those of the male/female variety.
This is not one of the works by which Sautet will be remembered but his last two critically acclaimed films guarantee that he went out with a bang, not a whimper.
As for M. Montand, whilst on his way to hospital following a heart attack that proved to be fatal, he reportedly said: "I'm a gonna but I've had a hell of a life!' A major part of his life was shared with audiences and we are indeed fortunate to have made his acquaintance.
The question here of course is where does 'Garcon' fit into the scheme of things? It is certainly not a great film, least of all by Sautet's standards and is one most likely to be forgotten. It was the only one of his output, apart from his first, 'Bonjour Sourire', which no one seems to have seen(!) not to be included in the BFI's retrospective of a few years back.
It is lightweight to be sure but is both touching and appealing, mainly due to the presence of Yves Montand. He and Sautet had obviously clicked from the outset and although this is by far the least of the three films they made together, Montand's performance as a not-so-young waiter whose philosophy regarding women seems to be 'Service est compris', is one of his most beguiling, endearing and yes, enchanting. Colourful characters abound and the camerawork, especially in the restaurant scenes, is superlative. Being a Sautet film there is of course a certain melancholy and a realisation that relationships are ephemeral, especially those of the male/female variety.
This is not one of the works by which Sautet will be remembered but his last two critically acclaimed films guarantee that he went out with a bang, not a whimper.
As for M. Montand, whilst on his way to hospital following a heart attack that proved to be fatal, he reportedly said: "I'm a gonna but I've had a hell of a life!' A major part of his life was shared with audiences and we are indeed fortunate to have made his acquaintance.