The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish is a 1991 comedy, directed by Ben Lewin, starring Bob Hoskins, Jeff Goldblum and Natasha Richardson. The story, set in Paris, follows the fateful meeting of Louis Aubinar with Sybil, who brings into his life her last unfortunate lover, the Pianist. The plot is based on the novel by Marcel Aymé.
Extended plot
Louis Aubinar (Bob Hoskins), a humble natured, middle-aged photographer, specializes in religious pictures and works for Norbert, a prestigious religious articles curator, who is launching among others, a series of pictures of the Saints. His last venture was St. Francis, where Louis had to fight to get the actor and live animals to do their jobs well.
Now Norbert decides to discard their next project, John the Baptist, and move directly to Jesus. Louis, who is already cash-strapped, faces the prospect of being fired if he does not find an appropriate model for Jesus. Louis's friend Zalman is also worried, as he was supposed to have posed as John the Baptist (which was cancelled) and now his flu will interfere with another job in film-dubbing that he counts on keeping. He asks Louis to do him a favour and cover his part until he's well.
In spite of his terrible situation, Louis agrees and goes to Zalman's job, which turns out to be voice dubbing for pornographic films. In shock, he takes his place near Sybil (Natasha Richardson). His shocked state makes him have such an intense vocal (and real) orgasm, that Sybil is very impressed. So they meet each other, and Louis introduces himself as Zalman, to cover his friend's absence.
Sybil tells Louis the story of her last unfortunate relationship with a passionate but delusional Pianist (Jeff Goldblum), who worked in the same restaurant as she did. A girl having her birthday party at the restaurant offered Sybil a good watch, so that Sybil would make the Pianist smile while he played. Sybil already had a passion for his playing, and this incident brought them very close. Suddenly, a Violinist walked in and stole her passion with his playing. The Pianist went into a fit of rage that caused him to be imprisoned.
The Pianist is presently scheduled to be released from prison. Louis, moved by Sybil's story, lends her money to buy a good suit for the Pianist, and promises to be there with her at the prison gates. Yet Sybil's sickly grandfather has a complication that makes Sybil miss their meeting at the prison gates, so Louis follows the wrong person. Later he is confused when he sees the suit returned to the shop's window. By a stroke of fate, the Pianist finds Norbert's card and arrives there in a downpour of rain. Louis finds the Pianist is the perfect model for Jesus, and helps him obtain a very well-paying contract from Norbert.
Louis is taking the best pictures of his career with the Pianist (who gives various names to himself, including Frederic Chopin) as Jesus. However, life is becoming complicated for the Pianist; he is being identified as Jesus by the public that has seen his posters. By another stroke of fate, he is forced to try to cure a blind boy and, during his pretended concentration, a golf ball hits the boy on the head and the boy's sight is restored. Doubting his own identity, the Pianist starts believing that he is Jesus. Through friendly conversations with Louis, he also starts understanding that Louis is disclosing to him his feelings for the same Sybil from the Pianist's past.
Meanwhile, Sybil had returned the suit to the store and returns the borrowed money to the real Zalman, who happens to be too sick to open the door. Still trying to locate Louis, who she thinks is Zalman, she arrives at Norbert's, from where the Pianist has recently been fired. As the Pianist sees Sybil talking to Norbert, he attacks Louis in a fit of rage. Louis is caught off guard, as he is still completely unaware of the Pianist's former relation with Sybil.
Finally, the Pianist believing himself to be Jesus tries to walk on water and drowns in a river. Louis, still confused, is carrying his ashes in an urn when Sybil finally finds him. The film ends with the two of them getting close to each other again. At the very end, Sybil, who still believes that Louis is Zalman, notices that he is wearing the very watch that she was once given.
Just for clarification about the film's title, Louis lives with his sister in a small flat where she habitually puts all of their food through a meat grinder; at one point in the film, a really big fish is processed.
Selected cast
- Bob Hoskins as Louis Aubinard
- Jeff Goldblum as Pianist
- Natasha Richardson as Sybil
- Michel Blanc as Norbert
- Angela Pleasence as Louis' Sister
- Jean-Pierre Cassel as Zalman
- Samuel Chaimovitch as Sybil's Grandfather
- Sacha Vikouloff as The Violinist
- Claudine Mavros as Mother Superior
- Carlos Kloster as The Archbishop
- Artus de Penguern as Saint Francis
- Caroline Jacquin as Studio Receptionist
- Patrick Albenque as Sound Engineer
- Gérard Zalcberg as Released Prisoner
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- Jean-Michel Ribes as Beggar
- Beth McFadden as Birthday Party Girl
- Julien Calderbank as Blind Boy
- Pamela Goldblum as Lady in Subway
- Maximilien Seide as Little Boy in Subway
- Claire Magnin as Mother in Subway
- Jacques Villeret as Lingerie Man
- Maurice Herman as Apostle
- Pascal Beckar as Apostle
- Edouard Hastings as Apostle
- Michel Sebban as Apostle
- Jean-François Vlerick as Apostle
- Geoffrey Carey as Apostle
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External links
