Le père Noël est une ordure !

Definitely one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. It's a family tradition to watch this film every year at christmas since it came out on tape :D The dialog is so witty, quotes are so memorable, "vous voulez cracher, Therese? Non, car c'est offert de bon coeur"... All classic stuff.

This is probably the first time I've read all the previous comments for a given movie and found not a single pan so far be it for me to go against the consensus. I've long been a fan of 'Splendid' both as a group and later as individuals (in fact I'm just about to add my comment on 'Monsieur Batignole' a comparatively new film by triple-threat Gerard Jugnot, the 'Felix' from pere noel) and this represents them at their very best, which is saying something indeed. I missed, alas, the original stage version of Pere Noel but the good news is it's now available on DVD so it's automatically on my 'must have' list. It's also going to be difficult to improve on the raves already posted here so really the best one can do is add to them. I think it's fair to say that this movie gives a new meaning to the old gag 'the Samaritans call ME', given that the main setting (it started out as a play, remember) is the run-down offices of SOS distresse amitie, the French equivalent of the Samaritans which is invaded - against the no-face-to-face contact Rule, natch, by three assorted fruitcakes - four, if you count Felix-and-how-could-you-not - the santa claus-suited, gun-toting boyfriend of the slightly enceinte Zezette (Marie-Ann Chaval). The most rational thing you can say about this is that it's difficult to separate the fruitcakes - Gerard Jugnot, Bruno Mayot, Marie-Ann Chaval, Christian Clavier, from the 'staff', Anemone, Thierry Lhermitte, Josiane Balasko, in fact the title of the pathetic American remake 'Mixed Nuts' says it all (but don't rush to see it, it's light years away from the original on the wrong galaxy side). Incredibly they pack all the mayhem into one hour twenty eight minutes and that includes the best part of a minute on Establishing Shots. To attempt to describe the labyrinthine plot is a new way to grow schizoid so suffice it to say this is THE surreal comedy they all have to beat. 10/10

Because of a nearly sole scenery, you guess that Jean-Marie Poiré's movie is the adaptation of a play. If the first minutes of the movie seem weak, what comes next makes them quickly forget. As soon as the nearly sole scenery (the flat of "SOS Amitié") appears on the screen, there is a ripple of dialogs, the gags follow on from each other. The whole is supported by an either devastating either nasty humor. We're very far from the crude vulgar humor in "les bronzés" (1978). Let's add actors who are all excellent (Thierry Lhermitte, Gérard Jugnot and Christian Clavier in front). They have a tremendous time in the shoes of their respective characters and they perfectly portray them. The best movie from the "Splendid" crew and one of the highlights in French comedy.

This is the kind of movie you don't mind watching over and over again because its script is so rich, so full of wonderful dialogue and genuinely funny situations, that one view isn't enough to absorb everything. Ultimately, this is a film about the spirit of Christmas in the modern times. We live stressed and frantic lives, so why would Christmas Eve be different form a regular day? That's sort of the premise of this movie.

LE PÈRE NOEL EST UNE ORDURE is a black comedy, a very dark one, full of odd characters and bizarre situations. Themes like homosexuality, suicide and murder aren't left behind and spice up this crazy, passionate, comedy set on Christmas Eve.

The performances are plain terrific, with no exception. The characters are wonderfully defined and the dialogue is delicious. It's impossible not to laugh. a lot! After a relatively calm beginning, the wacky situations start to pile up in a frenzy rhythm. Being a huge fan of black comedies myself, I prefer a more subtle approach to the themes. The humor here is sometimes histrionic, theatrical and over-the-top. That can be easily accepted because the movie is adapted from a stage play and, in the end, it works in perfection.

This cult play has become a cult movie in the 80s. If you are not French ... beware! ... the dialogues are falsely simple and you will probably remain indifferent wich such a French masterpiece. Otherwise, it's total happiness with divine dialogues carried by almost-mythical characters.

Here is a brief overview of the incalculable number of legendary replicas: C'est c'laaaaa oui. Roulé sous les aisselles. Ça dépend, ça dépasse. Félix, Joyeux Noël Félix! Nous habitions des gîtes infâmes quai Branly. Vous êtes myopes des yeux, myopes du coeur et myopes du cul. Thérèse n'est pas moche, elle n'a pas un physique facile, c'est différent. C'est fin, c'est très fin, ça se mange sans faim.

A French jewel!