One of the best comedies of the 90s influenced this film starring Christian Clavier.

What is it about? Retired teacher Robert Puttiffard has only one idea in his head: to get revenge on his former students who ruined his life! To help him carry out his diabolical plan, he has the best accomplice by his side… his mother. Together they make them see all the colors! Revenge is best served cold, and Robert Puttiffard has prepared a real chef’s surprise for them.

Aunt Danielle

For the character of Huguet Potifar, Pierre-François Martin-Laval had Tati Daniel in mind. It turns out that Étienne Chatillier’s comedy offered Isabel Nantes one of her first roles. it says: “I told myself Cilla Chelton She would be perfect as a keyboardist’s mom and I thought of her for the rhythm because her image is that I’m much slower than most of my partners.

In addition, Cilla Chelton was Christian Klavier’s theater teacher: “Cilla could play women with their flaws and expect us to really ’embody’ our roles and not just them.”

Genesis

While in prison, when he was writing Professor 3Pierre-François Martin-Laval was contacted by his producer Romain Reutman. He offered to read it The Third Revenge of Robert Putifard by Jean-Claude Mourlevat, whose son was then studying in the CM1 class. The actor and the director initially hesitated, because the hero was older, it would not be a big role for him, until he changed his mind: “By staging Depardieu In Fahim I found a new joy in just being behind the camera…”

adaptation

The first version of the script for Master Potiphar’s Revenge was very faithful to the original novel, which was published in 2004. Then Pierre-Francois Martin-Laval decided to make changes to make it more relevant to our time: So I gave myself more and more freedom and, for the sake of the narrative (and the production), I established a connection that did not exist between Putifard’s former students: they became a clan of cruel children of the same class, and not. Several different generations.”

In the book, the character of the master’s mother, who is tied to the bed, was revealed more. He specifies: “I had some concerns about taking those liberties, but David CohenMy co-author convinced me to do it by reminding me that adaptation is a small betrayal.”

Poutifard keyboard

Christian Clavier was not the first actor Pierre-François Martin-Laval had in mind for Potiphar. Instead, he envisioned the character as Gru in Despicable Me. But the director was happy to guide the actor on Les Profs: “It was a good way to get together. After he played the role of a very slow guy, I was interested in wearing a painkiller man suit.”

24 hours after reading the script, Klavier gave him the go-ahead: “That’s the prerogative of fame: They don’t have whims and know right away if it’s something they want to play. But having an actor of Clavier’s caliber, who has both comic power and darkness, gives you wings.”

The actor focused on his text and didn’t say what was happening in his scenes, as Peff recounts: “When I tried to prepare him for the act to keep it, he slammed the door in my face because he was only interested in the lyrics. He worked with the coach on his lines for a month before the shoot, but also with his partners. It does not mean that he is a bully who needs a comma – if his partner improvises Adds it, he’s happy to follow – but staging isn’t his problem, he wants to surprise and amaze.”

Pygmalion

Pierre-Francois Martin-Laval finds Isabel Nanty, who directed all of his films: “Isabelle is my Pygmalion, the fairy of my career. She was my theater teacher and made me work as a young actress before I could guarantee as an actress, I got one of the main roles in Robin de Bois’s first play. She brought us luck.”

The actress was afraid of not being reliable in the role of an old woman: “I was very afraid of failure, but it was his idea, he wanted it, he discussed it with Christian Clavier. It’s not always easy to find resources, but when you trust the director, you can adapt.”