P'tit Quinquin

Some lovely scenery but it takes a long time to get into this film There are some very weird characters on display and I rather doubt that any British film company or Television broadcaster would have the courage to have made it. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to laugh at the characters or with them. It's now regarded as not being "PC" to laugh at the afflicted but it seems that's what is being asked to do. Some of the remarks regarding ethnic minorities are a trifle suspect; from a British point of view, that is. I can imagine Guardianistas getting in a flap about some remarks I'm still not sure what it was about but I still quite enjoyed it

The film is about a spoiled, racist brat surrounded by feckless, over-the-top incompetent adults. The adults are so beyond caricature in their incompetence that it utterly fails to be funny. It is ostensibly a black comedy, but the humour, for me at any rate, consistently fell flat. While it at least avoids the vulgarity of the very worst Hollywood comedies, they at least have the decency to be brief. This meanders pointlessly, with uninteresting subplots added seemingly for no reason other than padding. Also, jokes that weren't funny the first time are repeated again and again. Finally, none of the characters are particularly interesting nor sympathetic. For me, this quickly fell into "I don't care what happens to any of these people" and once that happens even murder utterly fails to be interesting.

...overlaid with a bumbling murder investigation, and the result is a gem of comedic filmmaking and social satire embedded in a humanistic portrayal of contemporary French peasantry. Dumont dares to portray prejudices, pettiness, and brutality of rural life without malice or ridicule. Gendarmes, Van der Weyden and Carpentier, are as funny as their counterparts, Manchin and Malfoy, were in Slack Bay, yet less the buffoons of that film than simply odd and ignorant. I grealy appreciate such honest, often tender. portrayals of common people amidst a sea of films focused on elites, bourgeouisie, and artificial characters.

Maybe the slap-shtick brings more of les chuckles overseas. Some cultures are more able to look at misfortune or even misanthropy.

I appreciate not taking a treacly path, but there seems to be a mean-spirited undercurrent here; one that all the awkward hugs in the world may not dispel.

If everyone is an idiot, then who are we the viewers? That's a bit too harsh, but Dumont's world-view may be harsher. Ultimately the payoff of this long film (or short TV series) just did not deliver, of course the same may be said of "Twin Peaks" which I see referenced in other reviews.

I do feel like David Lynch would be happy to sit among his characters, and have a fine cup of coffee. As he does! I'd be a little hesitant to sit down with this directory and share a cup of whatever he's hoping to serve here.

I might watch more films from (or read some interviews with) the director, maybe he fancies himself a "bad boy of cinema." More likely the punchlines did not land with me, while some of the punches did. A friend had recommended this as a comedy, but the flavor for me at least was far more funny strange, than funny ha-ha.

With an interesting premise... outstanding scenery....a great unknown ensemble cast.... a quirky almost perverse lead, this had soooo much potential to be entertaining. But NO... simply a waste of 3 1/2 hours as time after time a thread begins... a thought line is shared with premise and it is all for naught. Watched every minute. Gave it every chance to entertain and yet.... it fails on soooo many levels I was too stunned to even be angry that I hadn't quit in the first hour and a half. The esoteric hokum reviews written by supposed elitists who think there are messages here simply missed the joke. NOT trying to be mean....it was just THAT bad.