SnakesOnAnAfricanPlain Wonderfully simple, but emotionally engaging comedy. The film takes its audience on a wonderful journey as we start feeling very sorry for Villeret. The film is very cruel towards him at first. He's just a sweet, naive man looking for some acceptance. He soon turns into the guest from hell, as his lack of intelligence does turn into annoyance. Finally, his acts bring justice upon those that would make fun of him. It's a feel good comedy, that gradually builds an unexpected friendship. It's also nice to see the characters in on the joke as well. Too often comedies have their own characters ignore the hilarity around them. The dialogue is quick and witty and the film does what it can in its space and time. About to be remade with Paull Rudd and Steve Carrell, the trailer for that promises to expand on the events, but will the heart and humor remain intact? This is a mini French gem.

Munin75 "Le Dîner de Cons" is one of the funniest French movies of all time. It's adapted from a play and this can be guessed when watching the movie since much of the plot is set in the same place, the main character's Parisian apartment. Apart from the actors' pay (all of them are very famous in France), the movie is low budget. While this doesn't sound appealing, let it not fool you. There are sufficient plot twists for it to stay entertaining from start to finish, and the comedy is pure gold. Obviously, the actors are stupendous, delivering believable yet hilariously funny acts. Unlike most French comedies, I believe this movie is very accessible for non-French people, as the humor in it is pretty much universal and simple. I saw the movie when I was 11 or so and I was roaring with laughter. Now I'm 24 and it's still a great movie for me to work my abdominal area. So I can confidently say that it's a comedy accessible for all ages.As is now common for successful French movies, Hollywood remade it to cash in on the great plot idea. And thus we were graced with "Dinner for Schmucks" staring Steve Carell. While I love Carell and many Hollywood comedies, "Dinner for Schmucks" was a disgrace, and can't be compared to the great original French version (the American version is also very different plot-wise although the main idea is the same). So if you have seen and disliked the American remake, let it not stop you from watching "Le Dîner de Cons" which I am absolutely sure you will like, wherever you're from and whoever you are.

tomgillespie2002 French comedy has always been something of a required taste. Whether it be the madcap, over-the-top physical comedy of Gerard Pires' 1998 Taxi, or the outrageous campness of 1978's La Cage Aux Folles, it's always been a hit-and-miss affair for me. One of France's more critically- acclaimed comedies, Le Diner De Cons (Dinner For Idiots), pretty much sums these feelings up for me. On one hand I found it clever, hilarious, and refreshingly savage, yet on the other hand I found it clumsy, obvious, and a bit up it's own a**e.It tells the story of a Parisian bourgeois Pierre Broachant (Thierry Lhermitte), a successful publisher who every week attends a dinner where the upper class get together and each bring along someone they consider an 'idiot' for their amusement. These 'idiots' are usually someone in a boring job and who have a peculiar interest or hobby. Each week a winner is selected when the biggest idiot is chosen. Pierre can't believe his luck when a friend recommends Francois Pignon (Jacques Villeret), who has a passion for building replicas of famous architecture out of matchsticks. Pierre pretends to be interested in publishing a book of all Francois' works, and invites him round to get a feel for him before taking him to dinner.The day doesn't start well for Pierre when he injures his back playing tennis which renders him unable to attend the dinner, and his wife walks out on him after being tired of his sadistic dinners and overall feeling of arrogant superiority. When Francois arrives, Pierre is gobsmacked at the man's ineptitude and general stupidity, and is visibly excited about the prospect of taking him to dinner. But as the day goes on, Pierre finds it difficult to get rid of him. Francois' lack of social skills land Pierre into hot water, and only digs a bigger hole when he tries to resolve the situation.The film takes a while to get into it's stride, spending the first 30-40 minutes basically showing what arseholes Pierre and his friends are. It's such an obvious and rather lazy attack on upper class arrogance that I failed to raise more than a smile during the first half. It's the kind of social commentary that Bunuel and Godard were so successful at in the 60's and 70's, and especially in the case of Bunuel, were also very funny. Thank God, then, that when the second half kicks in, the comedy starts to hit it's mark and the laughs come. Francois bumbles from one scene to the next - mistaking Pierre's wife for his mistress, inviting a tax inspector over when the house is full of undeclared antiques - and as Pierre disillusionment increases, the laughs come thicker and faster.It's a fantastic performance by Villeret (who sadly died in 2005). He truly is an idiot, and doesn't overplay it . Same can be said for Lhermitte, who has to put in a much more subtle performance in stark contract to the Tati-esque baffoonery of Villeret. Watch this before you see the American remake Dinner For Schmucks, starring Paul Rudd and Steve Carrell. I haven't see it, but judging from the trailer something tells me that this one will be superior.www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com

RainDogJr Pierre Brochant (Thierry Lhermitte) and his friends have a contest for every Wednesday dinner that consist in invite a fool that they know and have fun with them all the dinner. Pierre find in Francois Pignon (Jacques Villeret) his own gem for the dinner but he can't go due to a problem with his back. Now Pierre must deal with this fool all the night in his apartment.A couple of months ago i watch a film of Francis Veber for the first time in a festival and i enjoy it so when i found a DVD of another film of Veber i decide to get it. I didn't know what to expect of "Le Diner de cons" but if i were expecting a very funny comedy with an hilarious character, definitely this film was the perfect to fill my expectations. I really like this film, first because it has a very original contest as the main subject that is very cruel too,but we never see the reactions of Pierre's friends about Pignon, actually the entire film is in Pierre's apartment so the characters must have a lot of great lines and funny situations to keep going with the film in the same place. And that's the second thing i really like of this film, the character of Pignon. This man could be a really headache to anybody who meet him, making any situation a big problem. And is played in a great way by Jacques Villeret. The support characters are just fun, specially Pignon's friend who loves football (that scene, when both are talking in the phone, in probably my favourite).And the final message of the film could be the classic one, actually it is but the very last scene is really great and change everything because after all, he was just a complete fool.Conclusion: i enjoyed a lot this film,which runtime is only 80 minutes, and left me desires to continue checking Veber's filmography. And yes there is a good message for all the Pierres around but also another that says: don't trust in fools. 9.5 out of 10