Que Mal Eu Fiz a Deus?

Lets take out everyday racism and examine it under the bright light of comedy!

This very very funny film is a no holds barred look at bourgeois french culture, and multi-culture. I nearly peed my pants I laughed so hard. Totally worth your time whether you're french or not.

Seldom have I seen a French movie that I didn't enjoy. "Qu' est-ce qu' on a fait au Bon Dieu?" was no exception to this rule of thumb.

I am not sure what most people expect to see when they go to watch a movie about such an absurd combination of facts. I, for one, went with an open mind, expecting extreme situations. However, once you get past the (obvious) exaggeration of the main story (a handful of races, another handful of religions - just ONE family), the various plot turns and outcomes are both believable and plausible.

There are a few cheap laughs, a couple of clichés, but other than that, the movie is very enjoyable and offers more genuine laughs. It doesn't try too hard with messages (I love that), the idea is just plain straight: we all hide a (however small or big) racist within, which, given the right circumstances can either grow or shrink. No man is bias- free.

It's a good movie, a well spent one-and-a-half hour.

Admitted, this movie will never be a classic but it is quite fun. Actually I do not like french humor, I hardly had a smile with "intouchables", "chez_les_chites" and other famous french comedies. But this movies manages to make good fun out of prejudgments and shows that in a way we are all racists, black, yellow, white, Muslim, catholic, Jewish. Now the story is thin and of course has a happy ending, but you will be amused afterward. Basically it tells the story of a family in which the 4 daughters marry an Arab, a Jew, a Chinese, while youngest plans to merry a black guy. This last marriage is too much for the parents who had hoped for a "descent, white, catholic" guy.

In recent years, French cinema has suffered similar fate as Hollywood; whatever was made was too tepid or dumb to be interesting, with an occasional exception... but I digress.

"Serial Bad Weddings" or in literal translation: "What Have We Done To Dear God?" is a comedy about a family with three daughters each marrying a person of different race and religion than their own. If this were Canada or US, it would probably not even be worthy of a film. We all would like to believe that most of us are above racism in N. America, but keen observer will notice that racism has not disappeared, it is only better hidden. This creates a bit of a friction in many circles, and having a film like this goes a long way towards letting some of that pressure out. I am glad that French can still laugh at themselves, because most Brits and Americans will most likely be too scared into political correctness to enjoy the humor in this film.

To have a film expose and attack such deeply engrained attitudes head-on, is quite something. To have it done with "no holds barred" attitude, to the point of making one cringe and laugh at the same time, is what I enjoyed about this film the most.

The cast was absolutely wonderful, and besides Christian Clavier, it includes Pascal N'Zonzi who some cinefiles may remember from "Night On Earth" (the black VIP from an embassy... with "y-vois-rien" joke). Pascal N'Zonzi and Christan Clavier play off of each other so well, it is worth watching this film just for the two of them.

While the film occasionally flat-lines, the jokes are plentiful and well executed. There is only one sequence (maybe two?) that I am not crazy about... but even with that, it is very well worth watching just for the daring humor and attacking the issue of racism head-on in a truly funny manner. No one is spared - no race, and no racist, and everyone is better for it! All in all a good comedy that will not disappoint you, provided political correctness has not robbed you of your sense of humor.

I found this comedy really funny, I suggest to watch it in French.