The Under-Gifted

Claude Zidi (born July 25, 1934) is a French film director and screenwriter who is noted for his mainstream burlesque comedies. Born in Paris, he started as a cameraman and then cinematographer, and made his directorial and screenwriting debut in 1971. He won the César Award for Best Director for My New Partner, for which he was also nominated for Best Writing.

The director Claude Zidi began his film career as a cinematographer, later he became a director assistant. At the beginning of the 70’s he directed his first movie and especially at the beginning of his career he shot normally comedies. To his first movies belong “Les bidasses en folie” (71), “La moutarde me monte au nez” (74), “La course à l’échalote” (75) with Pierre Richard, “L’aile ou la cuisse” (76) with Louis de Funès, “L’animal” (77) with Jean-Paul Belmondo and “La Zizanie” (78) – again with Louis de Funès.

His comedies changed to a reflection of the society in the 80’s but always with a smile on the lips. He directed successful movies like “Inspecteur la Bavure” (80) and “Banzaï” (83) – both with the comedian Coluche, the classic “Les ripoux” (84) – for which he was nominated for three Césars, two of them he got for best direction and best picture as well as “Association de malfaiteurs” (87).

Claude Zidi only directed few more movies in the last years but nearly all became very popular. To these successes belong the sequel “Ripoux contre ripoux” (90), “La totale!” (91) – which was later filmed again by James Cameron with Arnold Schwarzenegger called “True Lies”, “Arlette” (97) and finally the big production “Astérix et Obélix contre César” (99) – the most expensive French movie till then. To his latest movies belong “La boîte” (01) and the third part “Ripoux 3” (03). Besides his activity as a director he also wrote many of his scripts himself. —cyranos.ch