KEEP AN EYE OUT (Au Poste!)

Belgian funnyman Benoît Poelvoorde (Man Bites Dog) is Commissaire Buran, a good, bad cop interrogating Fugain, (Grégoire Ludig), an average Joe who discovered a dead body outside his apartment building. As the film begins, Fugain must, on an empty stomach, explain how and why he happened to leave home seven times in one night before coming across a corpse in a puddle of blood. Since he’s the investigation’s only suspect, Fugain’s anxiety is already sky-high when Buran leaves him alone with Philippe, a one-eyed rookie cop with bizarre speech patterns and a few minutes to live.

The 110% commitment to the absolute absurd is what makes Keep An Eye Out (Au Poste!) so phenomenal. It has an authentic Monty Python level of rapid-fire, totally ridiculous tone to the dialogue. You’re just smirking the entire time. Whatever these guys were selling I was buying. I gutturally laughed out through the entire 73-minute run. Also, can we please normalize these kinds of runtimes? Great, concise storytelling. I’m here for it.

Chief Inspector played by Benoît Poelvoorde is a real prick but in the best way possible. The perfect foil for Ludig. He isn’t really listening to anyone and meanders between genius and complete moron. His presence is commanding. Grégoire Ludig plays the completely unsuspecting Fugain. His character goes on the journey of a lifetime. Ludig is the “straight man” of the cast, which isn’t saying much. In an American version, he’d be played by Paul Rudd; genuine comic timing in an everyman sort of way. His charming panic becomes our panic. It’s a true testament not only to his talents but the magnificent script. The nonchalance of the entire thing will floor you. Enter Philippe, the underling assigned to watch Fugain when the Chief is called away. Actor Marc Fraize was honestly my favorite thing about the entire film. I wanted to put him in my pocket and take him with me. His loveable, quirky oaf delivery was something unto itself. He really completed the circle of greatness for me, personally.

The storytelling style is a mix of interrogation and creative recreations of Fugain’s official statement. All while attempting to hide another matter in plain sight. The cinematography is beautiful; something akin to a Wes Anderson film with its very distinct color palette. The visual gags are to die for. You will not know which end is up. It’s dizzying and meta, and once it takes off it doesn’t let up for a minute. It’s like watching a tennis match of wit and weirdness. I could not recommend KEEP AN EYE OUT more.

KEEP AN EYE OUT (Au Poste!) opens tomorrow in theatres and virtual cinemas nationwide.

A list of theatres and virtual cinemas can be found HERE.