Supercondriaque

What a lousy and infuriating comedy! Right now, I have a thought for all the struggling screenwriters who'll probably never have the chance to see their projects gracing the screen, because what they lack is not talent, but a name. It's so unfortunate that we must endure such pointless movies just because their makers asserted their bankability once. I know Cinema is a cash-grabbing industry but must that be at the expenses of good taste and fun?

Dany Boon made a name for himself, when he made the film about 'Northern People', the "Ch'tis", it ended up being the highest-grossing French film ever, but I suspect many classics from the 80's/90's would have had extra viewers if they had the chance to be released in the Internet era. Never mind, Boon succeeded and the young comedian surely earned it, he was like the Cinderella figure of comedians, a popular figure for popular movies, and I still remember the backlash over the lack of nominations for his money-making film (except for Best Screenplay) and I thought that the comedian sinned by egomania because the film was nothing revolutionary on the field of acting, directing and writing, and many comedies were nominated in the past and deservedly so, "The Visitors", "Amelie" or "Intouchables", to name them.

But in France, when you get the money, you get the power, and after the 'Ch'tis", any project led by Dany Boon was a cash-flow guarantee, he oozed success and how couldn't he, with his buffoonish face and mimics, he's a comedian who finds the perfect note to appeal to both children and grown-ups, and by playing the straight guy, Kad Merad efficiently completes him. So there was no reason for a story of a hypochondriac guy and his friend, a doctor, wouldn't be a source of hilarious gags. And it starts very well, until it finally sinks in the ridiculous addition of a love story and some mistaken identities' subplots involving immigrants from Eastern Europe, it goes everywhere but ultimately nowhere.

The film is cruelly misleading because it features some of the best visual gags in the beginning, a man who's so scared of germs he avoids the New Year's countdown because he can't kiss all the guests and ruin the parties in the worst possible way, his ballet in the Parisian subway in order to avoid the poles is a magnificent example of slapstick and silent comedy that even afforded a funny punch line. And Boon enriches his characters with delightful verbal bits, he's a photograph for a medical book, which explains his phobia and in a waiting room, he tells the patients that the room is just a scheme in order to provoke a general contamination, and keep people sick. At this moment, I knew I was watching a monument of comedy and that the film made 5 millions viewers was even more encouraging.

The character was funny, touching and worked as a perfect foil for an original plot, but slowly, the whole fun disintegrates and the comedy derails toward "the man must find a woman in his life": that becomes his priority, but wouldn't we care more for his hypochondria? Anyway, the romantic stuff starts well with a few failing dates that overly exaggerated his mania, and then the film gets mixed in the political subplot, where Boon pretends to be a refugee and must pull an accent to fool his friend's sister, well, at that point, I didn't think the film was going to improve, the best gags were far behind. The film had a great concept and I suspect the best ideas were put in the first draft and only made twenty pages so they had to stuff it with more plots, including a ridiculous running-gag with the doctor's wife thinking her husband is a latent homosexual.

Maybe the material was more fit for a sitcom episode but the character was so eccentric by himself, he didn't need to be put in eccentric situations.That's the mistake most comedies make, sometimes, they get beyond their concept and lost the track. Romain, the guy played by Boon, was funny because he was acting according to his nature in an environment that was normal, when the events get abnormal; the comedy inevitably becomes over the top. And there was a moment where my enthusiasm dropped, in a dinner scene where Romain was supposedly mourning a dead colleague and he was making some weird bestial noises, I didn't know if he was serious or not, if he was serious, it was ridiculous in the film's context, if not, it was some lousy over the top acting.

And that's what happens when you entrust someone with a big budget, Boon was paid 2 million euros for this, I'm pretty sure the same concept with a budget ten times inferior would have forced the maker to focus on the character and not venture in politics, and a screenwriter who's given his first shot might have found more clever subplots. You can do a lot with a germ phobia, just put him in a prison and see what happens. The film had its moments in the midst of the mediocre turn it took, but nothing to match the laughter roller-coaster of the first ten minutes, that's what is infuriating.

And apparently, Boon stuck to his 'personality-concept' movies (why not? since it makes money) and released a film about a stingy man, well, I wonder what happens in the second act, is he stranded in a desert island? Hi-jacked by terrorists? Or meet extra-terrestrials? No scenario would surprise me anymore.

I watched this on cable and dear I didn't laugh so much for long time ago. Dany Boon wrote and directed this very amusing film. The story is invented in a very fantastic way that only Dany Boon succeeds to. His partner Kad Merad played with a high chemistry this doctor role. They are really a great team and it is always fun to see them together also in other comedies. The movie was never boring and as I have already mentioned very funny. Just see it. If you are looking for a great entertaining moment you should check it out. I am sure you won't regret. Even my family had lot of fun. 7/10

I highly recommend the other Bienvenue chez les Chti's or Rien à declarer.

For someone who likes french humor and who tries to stay in touch with the french culture it will be a good laugh. Dany Boon is as usual excellent and hilarious. Do not get fooled by relatively low rating of the movie. I can only assume subtitling could be mediocre which is often an issue in the versions for foreign audiences, especially when it comes to translating humor. If you know or learn French, even better for you. The movie manages to play with the language in a matter you won't be able to not burst laughing. While it isn't a masterpiece and sure is a light, not specially ambitious movie; it delivers exactly what from a comedy is expected. Lots of laugh, silliness and relaxation. For those who didn't get enough I recommend " Nothing to declare"

First things first : this is not the movie that will save 21st Century French comedies. It's pretty bad.

The plot makes no sense whatsoever: you would believe there are ghosts in the subways of Paris or an alien invasion in London before believing anyone would be dumb enough to confuse our super french weak main character with an east European revolutionary leader fighter type.

Dany Boon also just overplays it. In this movie he embraces being a new Louis de Funes... but does it quite pull it off. Even if he did, don't do this kind of stuff in 2014 no?

What does work sometimes is the premise of the main character : this germ and virus phobia did get a few chuckles here and there throughout the movie. Enough and often enough for me to plow through the whole thing.

Voila, you can probably pass though.

There is a special introduction for the German audience on the DVD/Blu-Ray, not sure if they have done that for other countries too. But it sets the tone even before you watch the movie. It's hard not to like Danny Boon or any other actor/character in this movie, which really elevates the movie itself.

Obviously if you don't feel the way and if you are not able to laugh at silly things (like his character trying to avoid contact in a moving public transport), you will not be able to have much fun either. But hopefully you do and you will overcome some story hoops and bumps this has to "offer". It's all good fun (even after the doctor comes in this case). Silly and a bit unpredictable (takes you places you might not have expected, but making perfectly "sense" ... for the story and the characters).