The Dinner Game

Rating:
Summary: Laugh Out Loud - More than once
Review: The Dinner Game is a movie not-based on an unfamilar premise: a group of snobby French men have a dinner to see who can invite the biggest idiot. The person who brings the biggest idiot to the dinner is deemed the winner. This concept has been done before however Thierry Lhermitte's take on this theme is done with class, spunk, and wit so much so that it will leave you enjoying every minute of this movie. This was the best *comedy* that I saw in 2000, period and is not slap-stick nor high-school comedy which has been popularized by American Pie and American Pie 2. People of all ages can appreciate this movie, even your mom or dad who are always doubting your taste in movies! :) I highly recommend you purchase or rent this movie.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent comedy of errors
Review: The Dinner Game is an outstanding comedy in which poetic justice reigns supreme. The premise of the movie centers around a twisted game in which elite Frenchmen compete to invite the most idiotic people they can possibly find to a weekly dinner party.

The movie focuses on two main characters; Pierre, a French executive, and the idiot he invited to the dinner. Pierre cancels out of the dinner party due to a back injury, and through several circumstantial slip-ups, ends up spending the evening in his apartment with his idiotic guest. Pierre's life is then systematically destroyed in a long series of mistakes and blunders as his well intentioned, but stupid guest, tries to help him through the evening.

This film is a mixture of cultural and situational comedy. The humor is definitely French, and will probably appeal more to people who've spent some time dealing with the stereotypes portrayed in this movie (intellectual elitists / tax collectors / bureaucrats). Having said that, the movie should also appeal to the American audience. While the humor isn't slapstick or joke based, it is certainly one of the best comedy of errors I've seen in some time. An excellent French movie, and a welcome departure from the more crass MTV style comedies of late. If you like French movies, you'll enjoy The Dinner Game.

Rating:
Summary: DO NOT THROW HEAVY OBJECTS AT YOUR TV
Review: The first time I watched this movie was on a VHS video tape. My wife and me had to stop the movie at least ten times to catch a breath between laughing fits. We did restrain ourselves from throwing the ashtray at the bumbling Ms. Pignon (Jacques Villeret) but I did throw my slippers.
Since then I've watched this film about 10 times, and still can only restrain myself with an effort. Thierry Lhermitte as the snob is fantastic. Alexandra Vandernoot, his wife does a great job, and Catherine Frot the girlfriend is really cool in her role.
Daniel Prevost, the tax collector who "would audit his own mother" but is crazy about football (soccer), and Francis Huster (the once slighted friend) who comes back to help play their roles admirably.
If you like slapstick, you won't find it here, but if you like your comedy fresh, and intelligent, by all means get this, get some friends, and sit down for a treat, but REMOVE ALL HEAVY OBJECTS FROM THE ROOM

Rating:
Summary: Tres, tres drole!!
Review: The French have always had a way with farce, going back as far as the Middle Ages and again, they show they are the masters of this genre, with a wickedly funny movie of idiocy, mistaken identity and frenetic shenanigans - a must-see for anyone who loves comedy.

Rating:
Summary: Great Fun & Great for French Class
Review: This film is absolutely fantastic! I would highly reccommend this movie if you enjoy intelligent comedy---and I certainly would reccommend seeing it before an American/English version comes out---a movie this good, you know they will try to remake it!!

P.S. If there are any French teachers out there, this is a great one to use for listening/comprehension exercise as well. It's rich with lots of first/second year vocab, and easily understood. And your students will be entertained as well! No moans or groans here!!

Rating:
Summary: Who's for Dinner?
Review: This French film invites you in with its intriguing premise, then butters you up with sardonic wit. Don't let its brevity (under an hour and half) or its 'simplicity' fool you...the screenplay has real bite.

What is the Dinner Game, you ask? Well, imagine that you had to find the biggest idiot you know and invite them to dinner along with all the other idiots your friends had gathered. These unwitting idiots would then become fodder for your arrogance as you chose who, indeed, was the most idiotic of all.

Now, turn the tables on that dinner game, and imagine that you were the invited 'guest.' What an honor, oh my!

As you watch this film you may see yourself in both the arrogant and the fools, but you will not be disappointed by the realizations that come to each character's mind. Lessons are learned, the depth of idiocy is explored, and the cruel fruits of the proud intelligensia are served up for all to indulge.

Go ahead, laugh and cringe, but don't forget to ask yourself which side of the game you'd be on. "Who's for dinner?" Is the question for you to ask or to answer?

Only the French could come up with such simply eloquent cuisine!

Rating:
Summary: Truly Hilarious French Dinner.
Review: This French movie with English subtitles is a true farce, making one laugh and laugh again. It has caught the eye of the filmgoers, even those who hate the subtitled movies. The plot revolves round a Dinner Game about which almost every character speaks, a dinner at which a few innocent people assumed to be idiots, would become the fodder for the entertainment of a group of gentlemen. Who are the true idiots? The arrogant or the innocent? The movie asks a relevant question, while making everyone laugh. Indeed a French masterpiece!

Rating:
Summary: Viva La France
Review: This is a brilliant movie at times to brilliant for my american friends

Rating:
Summary: enjoyable, but the title is misleading
Review: This is a pleasant, well-executed farce reminiscent of Almodovar. Just so you know, though, the dinner game itself really isn't the focus. It isn't actually shown on screen. It's too bad, because it's a great premise that isn't really realized the way I imagined based on how the movie was described to me. Fun movie though.

Rating:
Summary: Hilarious!
Review: This is the funniest movie I've ever seen. I pray Hollywood doesn't try to remake it, for they'd most likely ruin it. I can't remember laughing so hard. My husband and I saw it in the theatre, and we were BOTH screaming with laughter. Later, when it was released on video, we rented it. Amazingly, it was just as funny the second time around, which says a lot. Most comedies are lucky to be funny once. This is one to buy!