Le dîner de cons (1998) ⭐ 7.6 | Comedy

This is a very intelligent, hilarious, and slightly poignant movie. The 'dinner' of the title is a regular gathering at which some smug young Parisian gentlemen compete to invite the most amusingly ridiculous character as their guest. Pierre Brochant (Thierry Lhermitte) believes he has a sure winner in François Pignon (played brilliantly by Jacques Villeret) whose passion is the construction of intricate models from matchsticks. Ironically, it is Brochant who ends up looking the fool, morally if not intellectually. And it is the slightly sad but hilarious antihero Pignon who emerges as far the wiser of the two. Despite the premise, which seems to offends some delicate souls, this is a very humane, as well as witty, movie.

"Le Diner de Cons" is one of those great comedies that the French know really well how to produce: The action is fast, the scenes are hilarious, and the viewer just can't stop laughing as totally extraordinary things happen in totally ordinary circumstances. The mastery in this type of films is that they need not be big-budget productions ("LDdC" has been actually shot mostly inside a single apartment), while they manage to achieve a very high rating for their impeccable viewing pleasure they bring to us.

"LDdC" is about a group of rather cruel friends, who have fun by organizing dinners in which they invite idiots and get amused by them. The winner is the one who will bring the biggest idiot, and Pierre (Lhermitte) thinks he was found the world champion in the face of Francois Pignon (Villeret). He therefore decides to invite him in his house for a drink, and then take him to the dinner. However, things do not go as planned, as during Pignot's stay in Pierre's house unbelievable things begin to happen...

Villeret is simply amazing in his role as Pignon, standing above everyone else in this film. This should not mean that the other performances are not good, however: In fact, everyone does a good job, despite the fact that most actors perform very short appearances.

"LDdC" is a movie that will make you laugh, but in fact, it will also make you think; behind the fun, the film conveys a very humane and meaningful message. Don't miss it! 9/10.

Pierre Brochant and his friends have a weekly dinner party where each invites an idiot they meet to attend. They then let the `idiots' talk and laugh at them - each week the winner is the one who brings the biggest idiot. However this week Brochant's idiot, François Pignon arrives at his house to find that he has injured his back and cannot go. About to leave, Pignon stops when the answer-phone reveals a message that Brochant's wife is leaving him. He tries to help the situation and Brochant sort of needs him to, but he can't help but make things a little worse every time.

The premise of this film made it sound like it was set at the dinner party of the title and it put me of a little as I didn't like the cruel sound of it. However the actual plot occurs in Brochant's flat, but it does still have a cruel streak that is a little unpleasant. Because Pignon is such a nice little man it is hard to see him so openly reviled and mocked by Brochant, I know the plot requires it but it was done with more than a little malice and at times left a bitter taste in the mouth. However, for the majority the film is actually very funny in a slight way. The laughs generally come from buffoonery from Pignon at Brochant's expense!

The plot does turn around to be one of lessons towards the end which is good, and the story does have a good message of acceptance through it. The actors do pretty well with their broad characters, although they are allowed a little expansion towards the end of the film. Lhermitte's cold hearted bastard is a little to hard and cruel without enough in the way of being judged by the film. Villeret makes the film and perfectly makes Pignon a likeable and warm little fellow but still undeniably makes him the type of person who you would cross the road to avoid. The beauty of this is that, when Brochant learns his lesson, we as the audience also learn something too. Support roles are good but this film is mostly a double-hander which the two leads carry well.

Light and funny despite the slightly cruel nature of the plot, this film is well worth a watch. The humour is very much situation based and relies on plot devices to move it on, but it's quite fresh and amusing and makes for an enjoyable 90 minutes.

Refreshing comedy replete with subtlety, punning and panache, this film evidently derives from a stage play (confirmed by a French contributor in his commentary). Witty repartee flows throughout its eighty minutes (slightly shortened here in Spain in a recent viewing on TV), allowing diverse nuances as the situational comedy builds up and becomes intermeshed in cross-purpose intentions and priorities.

Almost `borrowing' from the classical theatre of this genre, such as `Boeing, Boeing' back in the late fifties, `Le Dîner de Cons' is a refined comedy almost totally carried out in a luxury Parisian flat. Jacques Villeret is magnificent as a steadfast modeller with match-sticks - the invited idiot. His playing of the part keeps on line, such that it never veers off into the ridiculous or absurd, and the result is enchanting, charming, endearing. Well supported by Lhermitte, Huster and Prévost above all, the dialogues are at once sharp and hugely touching. Unfortunately, of course, you will lose a lot of the wit in any sub-titled or dubbed version, so do get your best French well and truly polished up.

Totally different Franco-Belgian `comedy' but with that transcendental background, is the highly recommendable film `Le Huitième Jour' (1996) (qv) directed by Jaco van Dormael. In both cases my reaction is the same: Chapeau! Merci beaucoup!

Both these films are thoroughly enjoyable.

Before this film was released in 1998, it was, originally, a play. This play was performed on stage in 1993 and had a huge success. Francis Weber felt like adapting his play (he was the author) for the screen and he had a good idea. The action takes place in a beautiful Parisian flat. Pierre Brochant (Thierry Lhermitte) lives there and each week, he and his friends take part in a special dinner: a "dîner de cons". They've got to invite someone silly and the one who has found the best dumb is the winner of the evening. Brochant has chosen François Pignon (Jacques Villeret) and before going to the dinner, Brochant has invited him in his flat. Then, in a few minutes, everything's wrong: his wife's leaving him, he's got a backache, he's got to face his mistress etc.... and Pignon is a bit responsible for this! There are two main types of comic in this film: on one hand the comic comes from the dialogues which are very funny with a lot of successful puns. Moreover they're never vulgar. On the other hand, the comic comes from the situation where Brochant is: not only has he got to face Pignon but he's got to face unexpected events like the arrival of a fiscal inspector (Daniel Prévost). Above all, the film is worth watching for its incredible main actors: Lhermitte who is the perfect hypocrite and Villeret who is full of goodwill and kindness in spite of its idiocy and its naivety (in 1999, he won the Oscar for the best actor in France and he deserved it). Moreover, the other actors are very well used, especially Francis Huster and Daniel Prévost who are both excellent. The only weaknesses of this film are the moment where Prévost comes in Brochant's flat and then the plot is resolved very laboriously. The other moment is when Pignon is calling Mrs Brochant to tell her his real thoughts about her husband: you've got a quite conventional dialogue. Nevertheless, if you want to have a good time, watch this comedy it's worth watching!

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