Das Leben ist ein Fest

What an amazing movie. Details, locations, conversations, all with a twist. Long time I had such a laugh in the movie theater. The title does not cover the movie at all. Myself I was a bit reluctant to go out and watch this, but hey this is a must-go-see for everybody who likes french humor, but not over the top.

Max has been a caterer for 30 years: he has successfully organized hundreds of parties but now he's a bit at the end of his rope. Well today, what luck! he finds himself in charge of a sublime wedding party in the most sumptuous setting, a 17th century castle. But, for various reasons, disaster threatens at any time...

This is not the first film about a wedding that goes sour ("A Wedding" by Altman being the ultimate prototype) but this one, signed by the serviceable Nakache and Toledano ("Those Happy Days", "The Intouchables ") is one of the most successful. Not content to be written with finesse and skillfully directed (despite all the difficulties presented by the genre of choral film) "Le Sens de la fête" can boast of functioning on several levels, which raises it well above a simple comedy. It is both documentary (the functioning of a whole brigade under the direction of a caterer) and social (the vicissitudes of a small business, the working conditions of its employees in the face of these wealthy people who treat themselves to a 200 hundred-cover banquet in a manor), psychological (a whole range of individuals are studied under a magnifying glass) and sociological (the problem of immigration, already addressed in "Samba", illustrated here by the fate of Tamil employees); all this without any of these dimensions getting in the way of funny situations and dialogues. A bit of suspense (how will Max and his team cope when disasters pile up?), a hint of poetry (the bridegroom and the balloon in the night) and a great collective interpretation, led by a Jean-Pierre Bacri, grumpy as expected but also overflowing with humanity. Let yourself be tempted by this tasty cocktail with the perfect mix of fun, emotion, and gravity. You won't regret it.

This film is not necessarily fast paced, so it's not for people who have the habit of checking their phone during presentation. Some yokes are subtly prepared for quite some time, and are probably being missed, if attention wanders to what Niki or Ariana are up to these days. On the other hand this feature is a great pleasure for people with some patience. It shows a lot of respect and understanding for its characters, and even the annoying ones get their moments of greatness. Its humour is far away from embarrassing its protagonists, and the laughter stems from compassion not farts.

What a funny - while subtle and sensitive film.

Under the guise of a posh wedding at a castle in France - where little goes as planned, the film takes aim at French society (in general).

Funny moments abound - from slapstick, to word play, to delightful chaos, to more subtle allusions. Knowing a thing or two about French humour, culture and society may definitely help one enjoy it even more.

Even if you don't know much about the French and their quirks, you may still enjoy the film and maybe develop a taste for their delightful tongue-in-cheek situations.

After the film ended (and I stopped laughing) I realized how multilayered and subtle the film was.

Warning: if you are into Hollywood stuff, you may NOT find this one up your alley.

Enjoyable enough French film that made me laugh out loud numerous times. It also gave me something resembling borderline PTSD flashbacks to my former hospitality and events career.

The characters are all rather unique and funny in their own ways, without all being truly memorable. I mainly just remember the names of the groom (Pierre) and the pervy photographer (Guy). The man character delivered a great performance - though it was the supporting cast that provided the majority of laughs.

Beautiful setting in that French chateau. Some excellent scenes towards the end involving some fireworks and "aerial" display. The movie itself is fast paced, with rapid fire dialogue throughout. Perhaps slightly too long in length.

The bloke in the hybrid pyjamas was the best part. Will forever make me smile.