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Credits
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Summary
Once a week, a group of friends hold a dinner party to which they each invite a complete
idiot. The winner is the one who manages to invite the most idiotic of idiots.
One of the friends is Pierre Brochant, a wealthy publishing editor. He manages to
find the perfect fool in François Pignon, a lowly accountant who talks about nothing
but his hobby of making scale models of famous buildings from matchsticks. At the
last moment, Brochant is unable to attend the dinner because of a back injury, but Pignon
turns up at his apartment. Pignon lives up to the editor’s expectation and
what follows is probably the worse evening in Brochant’s life…
Review
Francis Veber brings his popular stage play (which ran for over 900 performances) to the
big screen with some success, making this one of the most popular film’s made in
France. The film won three Césars – which is pretty unique for a comedy
– although its reception abroad (particularly in the United States) was distinctly
lukewarm.
This is unquestionably a very funny film. Puns and gags are fired in quick rapidity, accentuated by some moments of quiet reflection and brilliant comic performances. Although most of the film is on one set – the central character’s living room - this is no shallow American-style situation comedy. The characters are well drawn, each having immense personal problems and traumas, and the humour is really just a by-product of their insecurity and inability to cope with life. This is what comedy should be about, but so rarely is. Pop-eyed Jacques Villeret is superlative as the idiot to end all idiots. You almost feel sorry for Pierre Brochant having to put up with his guest’s relentless barrage of gaffs. This will certainly go down as one of the great comic performances of all time, and Villeret richly deserved his César for best actor. Villeret is well supported by his co-stars, particularly Thierry Lhermitte (playing Brochant) and Daniel Prévost (the tax inspector). All three actors manage to convey something of the tragedy of their situation without tipping the film over into sentimentality. You start by wanting to hit Thierry Lhermitte with a golf club (at least, you relish his character’s deserved comeuppance), but you do feel some sympathy for him towards the end of the film. Where the film is probably less successful is building to a climax. The ending is entertaining but, for such a funny film you are almost led to expect something really special – but that just doesn’t happen. The film ends rather suddenly – albeit with a very funny last gag – and you can feel yourself inwardly shouting: more! © James Travers 2000 Write a review for this film... |
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