May Fools

Milou en mai, released as Milou in May in the UK and as May Fools in North America, is a 1990 film by Louis Malle. The film portrays the impact of the French revolutionary fervor of May 1968 on a French village. Milou en mai was filmed at Château du Calaoué, in the Gers département, southwestern France.

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May Fools

Directed by	Louis Malle
Written by	Jean-Claude Carrière Louis Malle
Produced by	Louis Malle Vincent Malle
Starring	Michel Piccoli Miou-Miou Michel Duchaussoy Dominique Blanc Harriet Walter Bruno Carette Paulette Dubost
Cinematography	Renato Berta
Edited by	Emmanuelle Castro
Music by	Stéphane Grappelli
Production companies	Ellepi Film Franco London Films Nouvelles Editions de Films TF1 Films
Distributed by	Pyramide Distribution
Release date	24 January 1990 (1990-01-24) (France)
Running time	107 minutes
Countries	France Italy
Language	French

Milou en mai, released as Milou in May in the UK and as May Fools in North America, is a 1990 film by Louis Malle. The film portrays the impact of the French revolutionary fervor of May 1968 on a French village.

Milou en mai was filmed at Château du Calaoué, in the Gers département, southwestern France.

Synopsis

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Milou's mother dies, at the same time unrest and strikes are sweeping the country. Events interfere with funeral plans as the family gathers at Milou's house;^[1] they disrupt the family and a stranded truck driver. The film combines elements of social and interpersonal commentary with farce.

Cast

[edit]

Miou-Miou as Camille, Milou's daughter
Michel Piccoli as Milou
Michel Duchaussoy as Georges, Milou's brother
Bruno Carette as Grimaldi
François Berléand as Daniel
Dominique Blanc as Claire
Valérie Lemercier as Madame Boutelleau
Paulette Dubost as Mrs. Vieuzac, Milou's mother
Harriet Walter as Lily, Milou's sister-in-law
Martine Gautier as Adèle, the servant and Milou's lover
Rozenne Le Tallec as Marie-Laure
Jeanne Herry as Françoise (as Jeanne Herry-Leclerc)
Renaud Danner as Pierre-Alain

Awards

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Best Foreign Direction, David di Donatello Awards 1990.
Nomination for Best Foreign Film, BAFTA Awards 1991.
César Award for Best supporting Actress: Dominique Blanc. Nominations for Césars for Best Actor: Michel Piccoli, Best Actress: Miou-Miou, and Best Supporting Actor: Michel Duchaussoy. 1991.

References

[edit]

^ "May Fools". Janus Films. Retrieved March 13, 2026.

External links

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v t e Films directed by Louis Malle
Feature films	Elevator to the Gallows (1958) The Lovers (1958) Zazie dans le Métro (1960) A Very Private Affair (1962) The Fire Within (1963) Viva Maria! (1965) The Thief of Paris (1967) Murmur of the Heart (1971) Lacombe, Lucien (1974) Black Moon (1975) Pretty Baby (1978) Atlantic City (1980) My Dinner with Andre (1981) Crackers (1984) Alamo Bay (1985) Au revoir les enfants (1987) May Fools (1990) Damage (1992) Vanya on 42nd Street (1994)
Short films	Crazeologie Station 307 Spirits of the Dead (segment "William Wilson")
Documentaries	The Silent World Vive le Tour Calcutta Humain, trop humain Place de la République Close Up
Television	Bons baisers de Bangkok Phantom India Dominique Sanda ou Le rêve éveillé God's Country And the Pursuit of Happiness

v t e Jean-Claude Carrière
Films written	The Suitor (1962) Heureux Anniversaire (1962) Diary of a Chambermaid (1964) Yo Yo (1965) Viva Maria! (1965) The Diabolical Dr. Z (1966) Attack of the Robots (1966) As Long as You've Got Your Health (1966) Hotel Paradiso (1966) The Thief of Paris (1967) Belle de Jour (1967) Pour un amour lointain (1968) The Great Love (1969) The Milky Way (1969) La Piscine (1969) Borsalino (1970) The Wedding Ring (1970) Un peu de soleil dans l'eau froide (1971) Taking Off (1971) The Outside Man (1972) The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) Liza (1972) The Monk (1972) The Phantom of Liberty (1974) The Woman in Red Boots (1974) Serious as Pleasure (1975) La Chair de l'orchidée (1975) Weak Spot (1975) Scrambled Eggs (1976) Le Gang (1977) That Obscure Object of Desire (1977) Butterfly on the Shoulder (1978) Surprise Sock (1978) Jigsaw (1979) The Tin Drum (1979) Return to the Beloved (1979) The Associate (1979) Every Man for Himself (1980) The Return of Martin Guerre (1982) Passion (1982) The General of the Dead Army (1983) Danton (1983) Swann in Love (1984) Exploits of a Young Don Juan (1986) The Last Image (1986) Max mon amour (1986) The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988) The Possessed (1988) The Bengali Night (1988) Valmont (1989) Hard to Be a God (1989) The Mahabharata (1989) May Fools (1990) Cyrano de Bergerac (1990) At Play in the Fields of the Lord (1991) The Return of Casanova (1992) The Night and the Moment (1995) The Horseman on the Roof (1995) The Ogre (1996) Chinese Box (1997) War in the Highlands (1998) Birth (2004) Goya's Ghosts (2006) Ulzhan (2007) The Artist and the Model (2012) The Patience Stone (2012) In the Shadow of Women (2015) Lover for a Day (2017) A Faithful Man (2018) At Eternity's Gate (2018) The Salt of Tears (2020) The Crusade (2021) Land of Dreams (2021) The Plough (2023)
Stage works	The Mahabharata (1985) Clara (1998) Wagner Dream (2007)
TV series written	The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1964)
Books written	The Power of Buddhism (1999)

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