Les sous-doués

Back in the years of high school, a perfect age for this film, cinema for me mend summer time, sky roof theaters, uncomfortable canvas seats, mosquito repellants and a wish that it wouldn't rain.

And one day, I was old enough to take the bus for an one hour travel to the big city where the real cinema theaters were. Together with by best friend, I had my first experience of the short going to see Spiderman. At that age it actually looked good. But the second time we dared to make use of our teenage freedom, we went to this film. The theater was foul. The audience was delighted. We were laughing all the way to the end of the function and some even applauded when it was over.

I never forgot this experience. All the movies that followed had to be compared with this one.

Back in the '80s, in Greece, this film became a legend. French comedies were predominant in those days and we knew French comedians better than their American colleagues. A whole fashion of school movies was provoked by the success of this idea and several bad taste local versions were produced.

Today, apart from me and my friend, probably no one else remembers the comedy that thrilled the country. Personally I still wish for more.

"Les sous-doués" is a french comedy movie in which we watch a group of classmates who want to take the baccalaureate. But to succeed this they have to study very hard and they are not so much fan of studying. Also they belong to the high class so they go to a private high-school the Louis XIV and there they have very strict teachers who are willing to help them with any way to succeed to their exams and of course to gain reputation from their results. In this they will find some difficulties and there is the point where all the hilarious moments start to happen.

I really liked this movie because it belongs to those kind of movies in which you never stop to laugh and every moment something really funny happens. I also liked this movie because of the interpretation of Daniel Auteuil who played as Baptiste Lavalle and he was simply outstanding and I believe that in this movie every interpretation was equally good because each interpretation had a different part in this success. Every person who played in this movie had his own part in this and when all of these parts are combined the result which came out was simply the best.

Finally I have to say that "Les sous-doués" is one of the funniest french movies that I have ever seen and I strongly recommend it. I believe that the reason that was so good is because it does not exceed the limits of the comedy and stays on it and do not tire the audience.

I saw this movie back in Hungary, when I myself was also in high school, and absolutely loved it. Today I had a chance to see it again, and was a little worried that being 20 years older, and having seen so many more movies since then, I may end up being disappointed. But fortunately it didn't happen! I still found the jokes, the kids and the faculty hilariously funny. The movie successfully transpired that distinct CUTE goofiness we liked so much in other French movies (most notably in those of Louis de Funes), but is completely missing from otherwise brilliant flicks like American Pie. I wish I could find this movie in English, at least with subtitles; I'm sure the American education system could relate to it real good...

Ps.: Our hard-working people will be victorious! ;-)

An absolute must-see for those into teenage comedies. I really wish this one was distributed worldwide as it is somewhat reminiscing of Animal House and The Breakfast Club, but just much, much funnier.

The plot: The story of a bunch of students in a tiny private school. Always up to no good, they end up blowing up part of the school. As a result, they can be sent to jail or... pass their baccalaureate. Since they are absolute losers, they'll come up with the zaniest tricks and devices to cheat during both the written and oral exams (both supervised by the police !). This film is a riot from beginning to end, and after that, you will never forget the "Learning Machine" or Mr. Bruce, the sports teacher.

Like any other in pop culture, Japan seems always to be very adaptable anything that is "cool", with knowing of meaning of it isn't important. The celebration of Christmas Day is long gone.

Yes, I do remember this movie, of course. This was a huge hit in Japan when I was growing up... Japanese titled "The Cunning: IQ=0". I was in my first or second grade, all the kids learned the tricks of cheating exams, well, not during the real exams, but to act like those kids in the movie. That was a real fun to do.

And if I was right, there was a sequence of this film. Either way, I wish this movie was more well-distributed than it was, to this day, it remains as a "cult" film.

We enjoyed it a lot in Japan back then, it is so cool movie, we even did not know (or bother to know) this is from France.