Ace of Aces

The coach of the French boxing team in Berlin in 1936 decides to help a Jewish boy and his family escape the country. With the Olympics under way he has to give nothing away. The film tells a serious subject entirely in the language of comedy; the narrative runs the escape through a chain of mishaps and makes the official ceremonies ridiculous. That register may not suit every viewer. Gerard Oury directed. Jean-Paul Belmondo stars and performed most of the fight scenes himself. Who it's for: those who like classic French adventure comedy and Belmondo films. Who it's not for: viewers expecting the period to be handled seriously; the film keeps its shape light.