Those of you familiar with the fantastic world of Jacques Demy (Donkey Skin) will probably find his A Slightly Pregnant Man (1973) of little to no surprise regardless of the fact that the film clearly entertains some rather unusual ideas. Written and directed by Demy A Slightly Pregnant Man was quite the eye-candy back in the days as it teamed two of Europe's most talked about stars: French beauty Catherine Deneuve (Indonchine) and wild Italian heartthrob Marcello Mastroianni (La Dolce Vita).

The story of A Slightly Pregnant Man gravitates around the idea that men are capable of having babies in a manner not so different than the one a woman is likely to follow- a woman would grow a fetus, go through a labor period of nine months, and eventually give birth. And so can men!! At least that is what driving instructor Marco Mazetti (Marcello Mastroianni) is told after he is diagnosed as...being pregnant. Of course, his beautiful wife Irene (Catherine Deneuve) is stunned, confused, and visibly irritated that the roles in the Mazetti family are being so profoundly reversed. Trying to cope with her noticeably pregnant man Irene will have to endure the insulting comments clients will share in her beauty salon, all the gossip in the neighborhood, and eventually the disappointment of not being the center of attention amongst those who until recently have been admiring her beauty.

As naïve and unpretentious this silly little film is for those willing to read between the lines A Slightly Pregnant Man offers plenty of food for thought. Following a story which many would probably see as conventional and, let's be honest, ridiculous Demy's film indeed plays with the senses of its viewers asking some interesting questions. There is plenty of talk in A Slightly Pregnant Man about stereotypes which, at least as far as I am concerned, do not seem that outdated 32 years after the film's premiere- over-population, traditional family roles, genetic research, etc.

The biggest asset of this French-Italian comedy, however, is the beautifully composed soundtrack by the legendary Michel Legrand. The man who wrote the unforgettable music tunes for the classic A Woman is a Woman (1961), The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), The Sinners (1969), and Atlantic City (1980) among many, many others has once again put together a spectacular soundtrack providing this charming film with an unusual flow. A Slightly Pregnant Man truly benefits from the baton of Michel Legrand who clearly has the extraordinary gift of creating spectacular music scores as only a few others in the history of European cinema can.

I can only guess what brought the cast of A Slightly Pregnant Man together, was it the allure of a director with such an unusual visual style, the reputation of Michael Legrand, or simply the abnormal script which offered plenty of room for improvisation. Whatever it was it certainly shows that Mastroianni and Deneuve had a great time playing next to each other. The result as you might guess is a film which does not take itself too seriously yet it definitely aims to entertain its viewers with its ridiculous but quite funny storyline.

How Does the DVD Look?

Slightly cropped from its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1 and enhanced for widescreen TV's the image is not as impressive as it could have been. I am unsure where the master for this release came from (though I am fairly certain a thorough investigation will probably lead us to the same source UK's Optimum used) but one could most definitely argue that the age of the film is easily recognizable. There are quite a few easily detectable "soft-spots", contrast is not as great as it could be, and the color scheme is unimpressive. The good news is that Koch have flagged their transfer properly and I was unable to spot any "ghosting". A mild degree of "combing" however is visible though for those of you using non-progressive TV sets this should not be a problem. Overall, I am convinced that this film could look substantially better but am unsure what company would want to invest in a pristine print.

How Does the DVD Sound?

Presented with its original Dolby Digital French track and an option for a hilarious English dub the soundtrack is acceptable. The music score by Michel Legrand sounds quite well and I have no specific reservations. The English subtitles are yellow and optional.

Extras:

Aside from a few previews for other Koch Lorber catalog releases and the theatrical trailer for A Slightly Pregnant Man (both in French and in English) there is nothing else to be found on this disc.

Final Words:

Unless you are a die-hard Deneuve or Mastroianni fan considering the budget treatment A Slightly Pregnant Man has received with this DVD release I believe that a RENT IT mark will be the proper suggestion here.