Le zèbre

In his work as a notary, Hippolyte has registered prenuptial agreements entrusted to him by hopeful young couples and divorce settlements by unhappy older couples. He has often seen the spark of romance wither and die among his clients and the people in his life, and he is determined not to allow that to happen with his marriage. As a consequence, he is constantly making one dramatic scene after another, in order to ensure that his wife will prove her love with him. Once, he threatened to leave her just to see if it would upset her. On another occasion, he drove them in their car into a lake, to see how she would feel about dying with him. Despite these unsettling antics, Camille genuinely loves the fool, though she is intrigued by the anonymous love letters she has begun getting. Are they from Hippolyte? If not, should she agree to see their writer? This light romantic comedy was the only film directed by the playwright (La Cage aux Folles) and actor Jean Poiret (he was most frequently paired with Michel Serrault) before he died in March of 1992. (Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide)