There has never been anyone quite like Jacques Demy, regardless of how many filmmakers claim to be heavily inspired by his work. A master of his craft, he spent decades tenderly constructing meaningful, daring films that were both visually stunning and narratively poignant, oscillating between comedy and drama with equal prowess and proving to be a truly gifted storyteller who was never quite satisfied with adhering to the status quo. Few of his films make this more obvious than A Slightly Pregnant Man (French: L’Événement le plus important depuis que l’homme a marché sur la Lune), in which he spins a delightful yarn about the experiences of a mild-mannered Franco-Italian couple who make a shocking discovery: they are expecting a child, but not in the usual sense, since it is the charismatic Marco who is pregnant, rather than his soon-to-be wife, which plunges the pair into a slight existential crisis, but which also brings them a new level of fame amongst those who are captivated by this peculiar story. Demy truly was one of the most radical filmmakers of his generation, and someone who consistently (and seemingly without any hesitation) endeavoured to tell original, daring stories that set out to capture a very specific kind of socio-cultural milieu that defined the time and place in which these stories were set. It may not be considered one of his major works – although it has qualities that allow it to rival the likes of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Young Girls of Rochefort – but it still proves to be a playful, eccentric comedy with an abundance of charms and just enough gravity to be meaningful, which has always been one of the main elements of Demy’s work that has been widely celebrated, and which amounts to all the brilliantly enticing details scattered liberally throughout this delightful and outrageously funny satire that is as heartwarming as it is subversive, which was always an element that drove the director’s work and made him one of the great directors of his generation.

In the years before A Slightly Pregnant Man, Demy had oscillated between grandiose, colourful musicals, beautifully engaging fairytales and the occasional social satire. As a result, it is fair to not have any idea where this film would lead based on its premise, and we only truly figure out its tone and specific approach once we are at the epicentre of the story, by which point we understand how it is essentially a combination of all of his favoured genres, reconfigured to form this wonderfully twee and profoundly compelling comedy that is as bitingly funny as it is unexpectedly moving. Working with several of his frequent collaborators on both sides of the camera (including yet another terrific pairing between the director and Michel Legrand, who composes the memorable score to this film), Demy crafts a fascinating story that isn’t explicitly a musical but still plays as one in the sense that it is a bold, colourful comedy that seems to exist in an uncanny version of reality, one that is still very much recognizable and steeped in the real world, but where everything is slightly off-centre, which leads to some tremendously entertaining observations about several topics. The film plays like a very elegant comedy-of-manners, focusing on the relationship between the two main characters and the society in which they exist, looking at the increasingly bizarre and eccentric interactions that gradually begin to become more prominent as the film progresses. Demy had not yet made a film quite like this (some may say there are thematic similarities between both Bay of Angels and Model Shop, but those comparisons are more superficial than anything else), so it was an opportunity for him to try a different set of ideas, and the results are terrific – there aren’t many comparable films in terms of tone or subject matter, so it immediately becomes a bespoke work, and his incredible attention to detail, as well as the incredible screenplay that is filled to the brim with witty wordplay and some genuinely insightful commentary, only adds to the appealing nature of the film and elevates it above its one-dimensional premise.

It’s this dedication to not being limited to its overarching concept that allows A Slightly Pregnant Man to gain much-needed credibility since while the premise is suitably amusing, there is only so much that can be done before it becomes tedious and one-note, which is something that Demy was adamant in avoiding as far as possible. It doesn’t take long for it to become very clear that this film has a strong foundation, formed from an active engagement with certain themes that are not prominent enough in the film to be driving themes, but rather stand at the core of the story, informing some of its more unconventional ideas and giving them enough depth to escape being entirely trivial. One only has to look at the original French title, which roughly translates to “The Most Important Event Since Man Walked on the Moon” to know that Demy was intent on crafting a social satire more than anything, particularly one that presents a vibrant snapshot of French society at a very specific moment in history. Europe, like most of the world, was changing over the course of the 1970s – radical new beliefs challenged conventions, society was becoming far more aware of the differences that existed between populations and worked laboriously to bridge that gap, and generally the majority of people were starting to emancipate themselves from the shackles of the past and instead embracing the exciting unpredictability of the future. Once we start to view the film from this perspective, we can start to see how Demy was playfully exploring the subject of gender roles, something that he had previously touched on in the past, but had yet to fully embrace as the subject matter for an entire film on its own. The women’s liberation movement was gaining momentum, and the boundaries between stereotypical responsibilities between the genders were gradually starting to blur. Crafting a film around a man getting pregnant, and the ensuing media circus, as well as the domestic issues that come about as a result, is a very clear way to implement these ideas in a manner that is direct but still entertaining enough to evade allegations of being purely academic. Demy often made films that contained deeper meanings, and his refusal to allow them to become overly didactic makes them extremely special, even when they are driven more by curiosity than strong social meanings.

Another very appealing aspect of A Slightly Pregnant Man is the pairing of real-life partners Marcello Mastroianni and Catherine Deneueve, the latter being a regular collaborator of the director and the anchor of arguably his two greatest films, whereas the former was at his peak as one of the most beloved and sought-after actors in the industry. Seeing their performances in this film, we are fully aware of the reasons why they were not only defining actors of this era but are still considered two of the greatest in the history of the medium. In the hands of just about any other actors, these roles would have been beyond trivialized, becoming nothing more than a bundle of quirks that don’t make much of an impression but are instead driven by a sense of absurdity that doesn’t have much merit. It takes a very gifted actor to make as ludicrous and wacky a story as this seem not only normal but entirely natural, which is a credit to both leads, who commit wholeheartedly to the premise and make sure that they are consistent in how they approach their characters. There is rarely a moment where they wink towards the audience and make it seem like they are in on the joke – instead, they play it entirely straight and with such conviction, is impossible to see it as anything less than a thoroughly magnificent achievement. Mastroianni is certainly the person who puts in the most work, and it’s fascinating to see him riffing on his status as an icon of machismo and strictly masculine values (which he would do throughout his career – it was also only a few years before his career-best performance in A Special Day, another fascinating character study in which his image is intentionally challenged), and he is fully on-board with everything that Demy asks of him. Deneuve is not far behind, and she is truly fantastic as the woman who is truly enamoured with the idea of expanding their family without having to bear the literal brunt of having a child. It’s wonderful work from both leads, and the fact that they were romantically involved in real life only strengthens their chemistry and makes their performances so much stronger and more compelling.

A Slightly Pregnant Man is a rich, evocative and bitingly funny film that seamlessly blends comedy and drama in its active pursuit of several themes, each one of them subtle but still impactful enough to be noticed, and which form the foundation for this wickedly entertaining comedy. Some of its politics may be slightly dated, but that’s only from a modern perspective – for a film produced in the early 1970s to tackle the subject of gender roles and the women’s liberation movement was already bordering on revolutionary, especially in how it directs its conversation through the premise of a man falling pregnant, and the challenges that he initially faces, followed by a frenzy of attention he and his partner receive as a result of this once in a lifetime event. It’s not Demy’s most ambitious film in either style or substance, but it is one with a strong sense of direction and enough fascinating commentary to maintain our attention and keep us thoroughly engaged and entertained, even when it is at its most absurd. Demy carefully treads potentially controversial subject matter in a manner that is very unconventional, but still impossible to not adore – the bright colours and unique depiction of Paris in the 1970s (perhaps one of the most beautiful representations of the city ever committed to film – no one knew how to capture the beauty of the City of Love quite like Demy), combined with the memorable score, wonderful performances and bespoke sense of humour all work together to create a delightful and captivating comedy that is outrageously funny and consistently unique, and which forms the basis for a truly terrific film that never falls victim to the bizarre nature of its premise, but instead embraces its internal eccentricity, becoming a magnificent celebration of family, gender and the unpredictable nature of life, all of which are at the very core of this delightful and engaging film.