Cannes, ciudad del miedo

This is "Les Nuls"'s first movie and if it isn't a masterpiece, it's an enjoyable comedy. Odile Deray is the press attaché for the film "Red Is Dead" but the film is so dumb that reporters don't want to promote it. However, the projectionist is killed and due to this it creates a great publicity around the movie and meanwhile murders go on. Then Deray is asking a cop (Serge Karamasov) to protect not only the projectionists but also the main star of the film: Simon Jérémi.... Alain Berbérian and "Les Nuls" have made a funny film which is full of clever visuals and ringing brainwaves; the best example is the murder of the fourth projectionist when "Les Nuls" are adding the sound effects to the scene themselves! Moreover, the comic of the film is very fanciful and there are some useless elements but it's because they are useless that they are funny. For example, we learn Patrick Bialès's whole life (the main inspector of Cannes) but it brings nothing to the plot! The screenplay, in spite of several weaknesses, is inspired and full of numerous details and sentences that score the bull's eye.

The movie is well made thanks to its actors too and I am under the impression that they, voluntarily, don't take themselves seriously , especially Gérard Darmon who is irresistible in his first appearance when he answers the reporters in several languages! Even famous French actors have got a small role (Tcheky Karyo, Daniel Gélin, Jean-Pierre Bacri and Eddy Mitchell are in the projectionists' roles)! At last the film is obviously a parody of horror and detective films. I think about "Psycho" when the projectionists are killed. To sum up: a fanciful but efficient comedy and if you watch it for the first time, you might be disappointed. You have to watch it several times to appreciate it. It happened with me.

There's nothing more to say... This film is the same level as the Monthy Pythons with scenes that make you cry from laughing (even if you see it 20 times). There's no better way to spend an afternoon with your friends!

This for sure is my favorite movie. What I really love is that there are jokes, puns, movie references & all almost all the time, and that, unlike in a lot of big production movies, can easily go by unnoticed. That's why even if I've seen this movie tons of times, I still can find some new ones. That's also why some people say you should watch it several times to really find it funny. Actually the best thing to do is to watch it with the remote in your hand, to be able to pause at any time to read all the stupid things that have been hidden.

I don't know about the translation, but I bet watching it in any other language than French must ruin quite a lot of puns. Also I don't know whether all the stuffs written in the different scenes are also translated.

I know a lot of people who just like me have watched that movie over and over and know most of the script by heart, and would from time to time repeat some of it in real life. You can also find tons of references of the movie all over the Internet, in blogs and comments.

On the other hand, I know of people who just find that movie quite poor, without any interest, and I can understand them. The jokes are quite often stupid like "(showing a picture) Is this your husband?" "No it's my dog." "Oh yeah, of course...Talk to me about him." "He was a really nice dog..." "No, about your husband". Of course it's stupid to ask whether the dog is her husband, and of course it's stupid to tell about the dog. So some people will definitely find this movie stupid, but others, like me, will like it. Just a note about the jokes: they may be stupid, but unlike in some movies, they are not gross.

So eventually, if you're French or have a really good French level, and feel like the previous joke can indeed be funny, you definitely have to watch that movie. If you find it lame, don't. As for if you don't speak French but still find that joke funny, well, just keep in mind the movie won't be as funny as it should be, but it should still be quite funny.

"Les Nuls" (actors and writers in this movie) started in a TV show (a kind of the "Saturday Night Live" on french TV Canal+) and have decided to end their TV adventure by making a film. "La Cité de la peur" can be seen if one doesn't know their TV shows: it's terrific, very funny. But there are too some personal references which develop the comic of the situations. In summary, everybody loves this film: a cult film that I have seen a lot of times. I think that I will watch it during all my life!!

It is really a fresh and original comedy. I have seen it again and again. To spend 1h30 laughing look at this!!! If you don't like it i allow you to beat me!! bye