Monsieur Cousin, a lonely Parisian statistician, shares his small apartment with a python named Gros-Câlin, seeking warmth and companionship. Infatuated with his coworker, Mlle Dreyfus, he awkwardly tries to win her affection, misinterpreting social cues and struggling with human connection. His eccentric attachment to the snake alienates him further, as his longing for intimacy blurs the line between reality and fantasy. Despite seeking advice and making misguided attempts at love, he remains isolated. The film follows his tragicomic struggle, ending ambiguously as he grapples with his unfulfilled need for human warmth.
Acting
Jean Carmet's tragicomic physicality — all nervous twitches and desperate eyes.
Writing
Adapted from Romain Gary's novel; the snake as metaphor hits different.
Director
Jean-Pierre Rawson
Jean Carmet
Emile Cousin
Marthe Villalonga
Mrs. Astrid
Francis Perrin
The taxi driver
Alvaro Vitali
Stretcher bearer
Enrico Maria Salerno
The President
Nino Manfredi
Parisi
Jeanne Herviale
La concierge d'Irène
Annie Savarin
Conchita
Katia Tchenko
La putain
Clément Harari
Tsoures
André Penvern
M. Champjoie
Tatiana Vialle
La jeune fille
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Romain Gary wrote the novel under his pseudonym Émile Ajar and won the Goncourt twice — illegal under academy rules, which he found hilarious.
The film bombed because audiences expected pure comedy; instead they got a snake-assisted meditation on urban alienation that feels increasingly relevant.
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