Choukri, alias Chouchou, a transvestite Maghrebi with clear eyes, comes illegally to Paris to find his nephew. Hired as an assistant by a psychotherapist, known for his good mood, he also work as a waiter in a transvestite cabaret of Clichy where he meets Stanislas.
Acting
Gad Elmaleh commits fully to the bit
Production
Clichy cabaret scenes drip with authentic grit
Writing
Bizarre premise that somehow works
Director
Merzak Allouache
Gad Elmaleh
Choukri, alias Chouchou
Alain Chabat
Stanislas de la Tour-Maubourg
Claude Brasseur
Père Léon
Roschdy Zem
Frère Jean
Catherine Frot
Le docteur Nicole Milovavovich
Julien Courbey
Yekea
Fawzi B. Saichi
Le voiturier du salon de thé
Arié Elmaleh
Vanessa
Micheline Presle
La mère de Stanislas
Jacques Sereys
Le père de Stanislas
Michaël Youn
Le transformiste brésilien
Stéphane Boucher
L'inspecteur Grégoire
Anne Marivin
La vendeuse supermarché
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Allouache filmed in actual Clichy cabarets, casting real performers from Paris's North African queer underground scene.
Gad Elmaleh, then France's biggest comedy star, took massive career risk playing Chouchou—this was pre-'Call Me By Your Name' era for mainstream actors.
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