
Chotard et Cie may be the slightest in the trilogy of obscure-but-worthy early Renoir comedies that includes Tire au flanc and On purge bébé, but it belongs in their company as proof that Renoir could direct not just naturalist drama and social satire but also flat-out farce. When a wealthy greengrocer gets an author for a son-in-law, he is perturbed—until the young man wins the Prix Goncourt. Plans to monetize the young man’s talent come to naught, leading the film to the moral that each must fulfill his or her own destiny. Proof that Renoir never missed a chance to try new things, the film opens with a bravura feat: a complicated tracking shot, over two minutes long, moving from close-up to deep focus and from the street into Chotard’s shop.
Part of program
Screenings from this program
The Diary of a Chambermaid

This Land is Mine

The Woman on the Beach

Catherine, or A Life Without Joy

The Southerner

The Little Theatre of Jean Renoir

The Elusive Corporal

The Testament of Dr. Cordelier

Boudu Saved From Drowning

Elena and Her Men

Jean Renoir, the Boss, Part 2: Directing the Actor
