It was in 1968 that famous French actor/director Yves Robert shot "Alexandre Le Bienheureux"/Very Happy Alexander. It is said about Yves Robert that before entering the field of cinema, he had successfully tried his hand at various "Métiers" which have enabled him to faithfully depict working classes in his films. It is precisely his eye for detail which is very much visible in this film. A very happy Alexander is one of his lesser known comedy films which celebrates the virtues of laziness. It is true that laziness has been known since olden times as one of the seven deadly sins. However, Yves Robert makes us believe that even a certain joy can be had if one is able to lead a planned lazy life without bothering to worry about what is happening in the outside world. As a "meaningful" comedy film, 'Alexandre Le Bienheureux' raises a lot of pertinent questions about male/female relationships especially in the context of love and marriage. One of the most important questions raised by this film is whether a partner can leave a union if the relationship is purely based on money. Much of the film concerns a happy farmer Alexander whose life changes for good when his domineering rich wife dies in a car accident. The film also discusses how love can change a person's life. This aspect is depicted through a credible amorous relationship featuring two great actors of French cinema: Philippe Noiret and Marlène Jobert.

Alexandre, the owner of a large farm in France, does not enjoy a minute of rest for the long hours he puts tending his fields. He cannot stop because his wife, whom he calls La Grande, has a way of reminding him not to slacken on his duties. Naturally, Alexandre resents this nagging woman to the point that he can well do without her. Even when a neighbor offers him a terrier puppy, he must secure his wife's approval to let the dog come live in the well maintained farm.Alas, relief comes in the way of a fatal accident where not only the wife dies, but also his parents. Left alone to his own devices, Alexandre's erases the chores his wife had assigned him to do on a blackboard, writing "Sleep, sleep, and SLEEP", which he proceeds to do for a solid three days. With the help of his intelligent dog, Alexandre prepares his bedroom as a place where he will survive happily arranging everything he needs and having the dog do the menial errands for the supplies he wants from the village store.It does not take long before his neighbors begin getting worried of the transformation. Not only that, they resent the fact that while they are hard at work, Alexandre is enjoying his fishing and naps. Everything changes when a shapely young woman, Agathe, comes to work at the store. She is intrigued about Alexandre, being a lazy woman herself. It does not take too long before he falls in love with Agathe overhearing about the possibilities of being rich by marrying Alexandre so she can one day be the owner of his property, but she does not take into account that the widower knows what is best for him and his beloved dog.A delightful comedy by Yves Robert who also wrote and collaborated with Pierre Levi-Corti in the adaptation for the screen. The idea of a henpecked man suddenly finding his happiness which ensues after the disappearance of his tyrant wife, lends itself to a joyous movie which even forty some odd years still has the ability to delight audiences. The idea of a lazy farmer is something Alexandre's friends and neighbors cannot compute in their minds. Let alone the envy they all feel about a man who suddenly is fulfilling his life by doing absolutely nothing.Philippe Noiret runs away with his winning take of Alexandre. The actor enjoyed a long career in the French cinema and he proves why everything he did always turned out in natural performances. Mr. Noiret was a man who gave the best of him in films because of the charm he exuded. This Alexandre is one of his best creations. Francoise Brion, as La Grande, makes a case for the domineering woman whose sole job was to nag her man to the point that her untimely death is a relief. The wonderful Marlene Jobert makes an amazing Agathe. She was at the height of her popularity and proved to be an asset in anything she played. Others in the supporting cast were a young Pierre Richard, Jean Carmet and especially, Paul Le Person, as the combative Sanguin.Shot in central France, the impressive cinematography by Rene Mathlin shines in the copy we saw recently. There is a tuneful score by Vladimir Cosma. Director Yves Robert gave the public many fine features, as proved by this delightful work.

This is one of the best statements I ever heard on the fallacy of the work and matriarchy: funny, intelligent, amused, sagacious. It shows as the rude force it's nothing compares to the ambush of the woman. Only the intervention of something simple and very primitive ( a little dog ) can break the secular slavery the one that is submitted the masculine species. The obedience to the woman and the undercover values (Who works is noble, God helps the hard workers, the buzzer and the ant, etc.) they overwhelm the happy life of the "big man", until the destination, taking pity of it, decides to give an aid to it. The fear of a subversion of the public order seems to have been the causer of the no propaganda the respect of this masterpiece. The field of sunflowers, in the end, suggests the return to the paradise and the conquest, finally, of the happiness.

I have been searching for this film -- in any format -- for years. I saw it twice in two days in the late sixties at a small museum theater that showed mostly foreign and art films. And although it is, admittedly, a slight film and probably no one's idea of a great cinematic masterpiece, it has more charm than 99 out of 100 Hollywood comedies. It may be that the anarchic feeling of the film dovetailed so well with our own rebelliousness of that era. Maybe it was the dog. I imagine running it on a double bill with Marcel Pagnol's "The Baker's Wife" -- now THAT would be something!I have scoured the websites and catalogs of lots of distributors looking for some evidence that "Alexandre" is out there somewhere, aspiring to a new life on DVD (or even VHS!), but to no avail. Let's hope this charming gem of a comedy is not lost forever -- THAT would be a tragedy!