Adiós, Idiotas

Two characters on the edge, for different reasons, meet by chance, towards an inevitable end.

This could simultaneously be the summary plot of a romantic comedy written by Nora Ephon or a road movie written by Wim Wenders.

The result is a hybrid, written, performed and directed by Albert Dupontel, which, without ever claiming to be a work of author, the general tone is manifestly mainstream, in the rhythm, in the humor, in the glamor of the settings and characters, it does not leave to wink at the most creative universe of Monty Python, whether in the opening dedication to Terry Jones, or in Terry Gilliam's participation in a small but delicious role as a weapons salesman.

Adieu les Cons is not Monty Python, nor Nora Ephron, nor even Wim Wenders. It is Albert Dupontel, an experienced actor, director and screenwriter, who is well worth knowing, and signs a very interesting work here, on the most varied levels.

This movie is a great example of the misused talent available in the French cinema industry. Subsidies are used to produce movies with no substance.

The characters (including the police) are very caricatural and the story is very improbable, making it very hard to connect/relate to it.

After a first laugh with the attempted video, I spent the rest of the film searching for real emotions.

The main characters don't seem to have a home, don't sleep, eat or drink. No sense of time either.

Who is the movie for? Given the lack of imagination in the lines/simple personality of the characters, I'd say the primary audience would be teenagers? Then, why would you have such an inappropriate ending to trivialise a serious topic?

I watched this movie at the cinema and the disappointment was general. People were rushing out to go home.

So, this one doesn't deserve a Cesar for me, regardless of how stylised it is. A movie is a story/an experience that needs to be more meaningful than this.

Only 12 reviews on Imdb, for such a lovely, original, quirky, witty and endearing French comedy. Definitely an unknown gem!

The good: this story is hilarious. It simply is. And hilarious is all a comedy needs to be. But this movie is much more. It's an endearing tale of motherly love and of love in general. It's better to die young and have loved passionately than to haved lived long and never have felt TRUE LOVE.

The story is about a mother, who had to give away her baby at birth. Now the mother is dying, but she wants to find her lost son before her illness takes her last breath.

Of all people the mother asks (out of neccesity) the help of a suicidal deskclerk and a flirtatious blind man to find her lost son. It's completely bonkers, with suicide attempt, police chases and shootouts, but it is undeniably OH SO FUNNY.

Bless the French for making such HUMAN and PASSIONATE comdies!

This dramatic comedy in the form of a corrosive fable is faithful to the themes of Dupontel, very critical of society, once again describing characters damaged by life. An original and well-crafted scenario and convincing and touching actors. All the themes go from abandoned children to the coldness of institutions through police violence and the inhumanity of the administration and the malaise of our contemporary societies where love and happiness in the individual struggle to express themselves. Suffocated by huge buildings, chemicals and everyone's confinement in front of screens from subway to work. A slap that will not please everyone but that will be like a mini catharsis for others. Thanks Albert.

Sorry but I definitely could not get it. I could not say if this movie was to laugh or to wep, was it a comedy or a downbeat drama, an amusing social satyre or a gloomy story about people fighting against somethng stronger than them in a combat lost in advance? I was totally bewildered in front of this mix up. I know that's the Dupontel speciality but here, I could not make it. That doesn't mean the movie is awful, lousy or uninteresting. No, just that too much tragedy kills comedy, and too much comedy kills tragedy. You can't have both. That"s my own opinion.