Rent My American Uncle (1980)

The Lecture That Gets Under Your Skin - My American Uncle review by griggs

I spent most of My American Uncle feeling like I’d wandered into the wrong lecture hall, only to find the lecture unexpectedly funny and more human than advertised. Alain Resnais follows three lives shaped by love, work, status and frustration, while Henri Laborit keeps turning up to explain their behaviour through his theories of human response. The joke, of course, is that he may not be entirely wrong.

What keeps the film from turning into a clever diagram is the cast. Gérard Depardieu, Nicole Garcia and Roger Pierre give the theory flesh, nerves and wounded pride. They make social climbing, romantic panic and workplace humiliation feel painfully recognisable. The old movie clips are a lovely extra twist too, suggesting that even our fantasies may be borrowed.

For Resnais, this feels unusually playful and accessible, but not lightweight. It’s sharp about class and the structures that box people in, even while smiling at their delusions. Brainy, sly, and just touching enough to stop it feeling like homework.

A Cerebral Movie - My American Uncle review by BE

An interesting movie interspersed with non fictional dialogue from psychologist, Henri Laborit. A joined up story of four characters which sets you thinking about how and why we react to situations in everyday life. You may need to watch it again to fully understand the presented behavioural processes. Contains a few scenes which won't go down well with animal lovers.