Le père Noël est une ordure

Everyone in France knows this movie by heart. Sure, most jokes must be very hard to translate, and may seem very rude (Je t'encule, Thèrèse !), but there is quite a solid story, the acting is excellent and Jean Marie Poiré is at his best. Even Michel Blanc who is not appearing in the movie ( only a voice on phone) is good. The dreaded Anemone is really fun (once in her life) and for Josiane Balasko it is her very best movie ( except maybe for "les hommes préfèrent les grosses"). Not to mention the wonderful Bruno Moynot and Martin Lamotte. Too bad we don't see them more often on the screen. Too bad, too, France will never more produce such jewel, but annoying Asterix, and other visitors. Looks like Christian Clavier by itself is no fun and Alain Chabat is not very good ( I never liked him, nor "les nuls". Le père Noël may be qualified minimalist, or cheap production, but it is THE french movie of the 20th century. I gave it a 10, and I'm going to watch it one more time ( maybe the 200th time)

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.

I have seen this movie yesterday for the Xth times. After all these views, I still cannot get tired of it. Yesterday, I was wondering when this movie was actually happening. It is actually dated of 1982. 21 years ago. And after all this time every single piece of humour you see or hear is stil funny.

Ok, the sets are a bit old fashioned but stil represents the type of low-end apartment you could find in Paris and that would be hired by an non-profit association like SOS Detresse amitie.

I don't know what makes this movie so present and why it is impossible not to find it funny after all this time. I think it is the ability to make laugh by taking the opposite of the common sense.

Another interesting point is that the Pere Noel has been adapted from a theatre play written and played by the same actors as in the film. And the movie doesn't look like a filmed play as it often is. There's been a great job in the adaptation of the text as well as the story (because there are some important differences)

I am afraid I will see this movie every year and always laugh with it.

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!

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