O Jantar dos Malas

This is a very intelligent, hilarious, and slightly poignant movie. The 'dinner' of the title is a regular gathering at which some smug young Parisian gentlemen compete to invite the most amusingly ridiculous character as their guest. Pierre Brochant (Thierry Lhermitte) believes he has a sure winner in François Pignon (played brilliantly by Jacques Villeret) whose passion is the construction of intricate models from matchsticks. Ironically, it is Brochant who ends up looking the fool, morally if not intellectually. And it is the slightly sad but hilarious antihero Pignon who emerges as far the wiser of the two. Despite the premise, which seems to offends some delicate souls, this is a very humane, as well as witty, movie.

Go see it now in Francais now before the Americans get a hold of it and screw up another perfectly good Veber movie, as usual. (I can't wait to see what bodily fluid gets fashionably added to the Lafitte Rothchild '78 in the US version. Ugh.)

Pierre Brochant and his friends have a weekly dinner party where each invites an idiot they meet to attend. They then let the `idiots' talk and laugh at them - each week the winner is the one who brings the biggest idiot. However this week Brochant's idiot, François Pignon arrives at his house to find that he has injured his back and cannot go. About to leave, Pignon stops when the answer-phone reveals a message that Brochant's wife is leaving him. He tries to help the situation and Brochant sort of needs him to, but he can't help but make things a little worse every time.

The premise of this film made it sound like it was set at the dinner party of the title and it put me of a little as I didn't like the cruel sound of it. However the actual plot occurs in Brochant's flat, but it does still have a cruel streak that is a little unpleasant. Because Pignon is such a nice little man it is hard to see him so openly reviled and mocked by Brochant, I know the plot requires it but it was done with more than a little malice and at times left a bitter taste in the mouth. However, for the majority the film is actually very funny in a slight way. The laughs generally come from buffoonery from Pignon at Brochant's expense!

The plot does turn around to be one of lessons towards the end which is good, and the story does have a good message of acceptance through it. The actors do pretty well with their broad characters, although they are allowed a little expansion towards the end of the film. Lhermitte's cold hearted bastard is a little to hard and cruel without enough in the way of being judged by the film. Villeret makes the film and perfectly makes Pignon a likeable and warm little fellow but still undeniably makes him the type of person who you would cross the road to avoid. The beauty of this is that, when Brochant learns his lesson, we as the audience also learn something too. Support roles are good but this film is mostly a double-hander which the two leads carry well.

Light and funny despite the slightly cruel nature of the plot, this film is well worth a watch. The humour is very much situation based and relies on plot devices to move it on, but it's quite fresh and amusing and makes for an enjoyable 90 minutes.

«Le dîner de cons» is one of the best film by Francis Veber. Funny, witty and intelligent, the movie tells the story of a group of men who are playing a strange game. The winner is the one who can find the perfect «con», the king of idiots! From beginning to end, this movie makes you laugh. Excellent performances by Thierry Lhermitte (one of the top French actor today) and Jacques Villeret. Watch it again, you'll laugh more than the first time!

7 out of 10.

A group of well-to-do snobbish and obnoxious professionals have dinner parties every Wednesday to which each of them is required to bring an "idiot" as a guest. The victims have no idea that they are invited merely to be humiliated and their boorish "sponsors" compare their notes later to determine whose "idiot" was the best. Pierre Brochant( Thierry Lhermitte), the smug publisher thinks that he's got a winner in the tax accountant François Pignon (Jacques Villeret, sadly passed away in January 2005 - great French Comedian whose performance in "Robert and Robert" I enjoyed very much) who reproduces the famous landmarks with the matchsticks and would talk about them with never ending enthusiasm. Unfortunately for Pierre (but fortunately for us, the viewers) he throws his back just before the dinner and has to rely to Pignon's sincere generosity. The tables are turned and look who is an idiot after all...

With the modest running time of 80 minutes, the "Dinner Game" is a delightful and very funny comedy. I would not expect anything else from Francis Veber, the director of Le Jouet, (1976) aka The Toy , La Chèvre, (1981) aka Knock On Wood, Les Compères, (1983) ... aka ComDads, and Les Fugitifs, (1986) and the writer for Le Grand blond avec une chaussure noire, (1972) ... aka The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe.