Les bronzés

Most of the reviews have already explained much of the plot, story, etc... so I'll take this in another direction: what its really all about.

While "Les Bronzés" is a comedy, much of it is based on real-life situations that actually happen and what goes on in these vacation villages. I know because not only did I grow up in France and understand their psyche, but I worked for the company parodied for a while.

From the attitude of the GOs, to the naiveté of the GMs, the goofy activities in the village to the sleeping arrangements - the nightly banquets to the evening shows - pretty much everything is portrayed spot on. And *that's* what makes the movie really funny. This movie is a classic in France.

Some of the humor will be lost in translation, however, the subtitles are pretty close to conveying the jist of humor when they cannot be accurately translated. It's a must see for any francophile looking for a good laugh. And if you liked this one, Thierry Lhermite is also in "Le Diner des Cons", which was just remade in Hollyweird as "The Dinner Game".

If one looks closely at the history of French cinema there is no doubt that Patrice Leconte's cult film "Les Bronzés" has achieved the status of a classic film.The sad thing is that it is considered as a classic film but in a very negative sense.This is because a major section of academic critics in France and elsewhere would never be ready to acknowledge it as a true classic film representing the essential qualities of French culture.Whatever critics might say,reality is that all viewers need film a like this as the survival of art cinema is not possible without the growth of commercial cinema.It is really hard to believe that Patrice Leconte has directed this comic film in the early stages of his career.He is more famous as a director who has made many brilliant psychological dramas in the later part of his successful career.In order to appreciate "Les Bronzés",a viewer must know French language or familiarize oneself with aspects of French culture otherwise the meaning of innumerable rib tickling jokes will surely be lost.This is simply because some of jokes and situations in this film are simply untranslatable.It is a known fact that French people are true expert connoisseurs of sea,sex and sun but some of the behavioral traits of Gallic people shown in "Les Bronzés" are not entirely full of truth as not all French people behave in an irresponsible,wacky manner when they are away from home.The best way to remember and watch "Les Bronzés" is to consider it as one of those rare films in which an intelligent eye can sense hopelessness,misery and pain even in the lives of carefree tourists making merry.

I can't remember how many times I watched this movie, at least a dozen times and it never gets old. The second French Fried Vacation (what a stupid translation in English) is even better. In Les Bronzés the crew of Le Splendid (consisting of the major part of the lead actors) brought their acting talents to the screen instead of the scene. They know each other very good and that shows on screen. Each character is funny in its way, from the guy that wants to but never gets late (played by Michel Blanc), my favourite, to the fighting married couple (played by Gerard Jugnot and Josiane Balasko), to the macho of the gang (played by Thierry Lhermitte), and of course Christian Clavier with his legendary Speedo showing pubes. All amazingly popular French actors, that became very successful over the years with some very funny comedies. I can't believe this movie is already 45 years old, it certainly aged very well. If you never watched it I recommend you do, and if possible watch the second one as well (Les Bronzés font du Ski) as that one is even better.

This movie is one of the most important comedy in France. Almost everybody in France know one or several sentences of it. If you want to make some joke with a French guy, you could try to learn some of the principal sentences of the movie and you could be sure that he will laugh. The movie is adapted from the stage, and the play was very succesful for many months. So, every shot have been studied to be hilarious. There are not at all any breaks. Of course, if you could understand French, I will advise you to see the French Version because the jokes could be not as good in English. In conclusion, I would also advise you to see the second movie from the same team: "Les Bronzes Font du Ski" which is at least as excellent as the first.

There are two sides to this movie: superficially it is an unspectacular comedy about a group of tourists spending their two weeks at a Club Med resort somewhere in Africa, or the West Indies or wherever. There is the underlying promise of sexual adventures, but they only materialise for the bored, toned and bronzed club entertainers, not the balding and paunchy guests.

Like an iceberg, the more important part of this movie is invisible, and lies in the incredibly fast-paced dialogues. It's French quipping at its best, and if you only so much as bat an eye you'll miss it. For this reason the French love this movie, and the rest of the world wonders what they're on about (this type of humour doesn't translate well or even at all). I saw an original French version without subtitles, and have to admit that most of it was too fast for me.

For this reason: if you're French -- you probably have seen this movie, and possibly even on this very day. If you're not French, you won't understand a dicky bird. This review is so pointless.