Cast Rowan Atkinson, Emma de Caunes, Max Baldry, Willem Dafoe, Jean Rochefort, Karel Roden, Steve Pemberton Banner Universal Pictures Producers Peter Bennett-Jones, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner Director Steve Bendelack Music Howard Goodall
The film opens with Mr. Bean moving to a church in his lime-green mini up for a village fete. He is very delighted at the fete after winning a grand prize in a raffle which involves a free holiday trip to the Cannes Film Festival, and a video camera . His adventures begin at the Gare de Lyon station in Paris where he visits a restaurant. In the classy restaurant, the maitre d’ (Jean Rochefort) talks him into eating seafood he has never seen before. At the station, where he is waiting to catch the TGV (very fast train), he has an encounter with the Russian movie director Emil Duchevsky (Karel Roden) and his son Stepan (Max Baldry), who are also on their way to the Cannes film festival.
Mr. Beans manages to board the train, leaving Emil alone at the station while Stepan has already boarded the train. After losing his passport, ticket and money, Bean and the ten-year-old Stepan become friends as they focus on their trip to South of France. Stepan needs to be united with his father and Mr. Bean needs to see his favourite beach. During this trip, he also meets his love interest, Sabine (Emma de Caunes), a young actress who is working on a movie with a pretentious filmmaker Carson Clay (Willem Dafoe). He and Stepan keep trying to call Mr. Emil but all in vain. Will Mr. Bean unite the son and father and finally reach the fest? If he reaches the festival, what now humorous diversions will he create?
Atkinson gives a wonderful performance, with almost no dialogues except, the “oui”, “non”, and uh, “gracias”. Baldry, Dafoe and Roden have done their job well. Emma de Caunes is OK. Cinematography by Baz Irvine and music by Howard Goodall are in tune with the film. It is a beautifully orchestrated silent comedy by filmmaker Steve Bendelack. The movie could have been even better if the jokes had been worked upon more.
