Bene Cumb
At times the plot is not very credible as the story goes in the Internet era when finding information about another part of a country and dialects spoken there should not be a nuclear science... Although I have experienced French arrogance and poor knowledge of geography, I have never heard or noticed that North-Eastern part has been considered somewhat "low" (vis-a-vis North-West). Nord-Pas de Calais is almost Belgium and there are lots of beautiful cities and townships; OK, I agree, that climate leaves a lot to be desired :)There are 2 funny groups of scenes: a) on the postal route and b) welcoming the wife, when the 2 main male actors are able to show their skills and brilliance... In short, Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis is OK watching, but a bit overrated; Intouchables is much better. At least for a non-Frenchman like me.
manuel-pestalozzi
I remember comedy hour on French radio. I remember imitations of the Bretons, of the Basques, of the Alsatians, of the French speaking Swiss and of Belgians. They are peripheral and therefore funny and not to be taken quite seriously. Now, imagine a Spanish film depicting Galicians (or, worse, Catalans!) as peripheral, kind but stupid yokels. The outcry it would generate! This belittling of regions far from the (so called) cultural centre seems to me a specific French cultural trait. And they want to be the leading nation of Europe. I am not surprised that this movie was a smash hit, everyone likes to see a story set in a pretty little town, where there are no big worries and everybody is kind and helpful (who wouldn't like to live in Bergues after the viewing?) but it's basically presenting a real place as an idyll and hunting for cheap effects. It brings nothing new or interesting to the viewers but some moments of distraction at the expense of a specific region.
JoaoPovoaMarinheiro
OK, this isn't a masterpiece but sure is a pleasant surprise and reaches something rare: it entertains the spectator during it's entire content.There are movies that sometimes loose their balance and consequently bore the viewer making it become then a flop. However this piece of french film-making, that is to the date the most viewed movie in France, maintains a positive balance that comfortably puts a big smile on the face of those who watch it.A Portuguese critic said that this is commercial cinema, sure, but the best of it. Good performances, funny plot filled with hilarious passages and a confident directing make this a must see french 'feel-good' gem that achieves the mission of making the client happy - 7/10.
R. Ignacio Litardo
I laughed out loud with this move, and certainly, I didn't expect it.Sometimes we forget how important it is to have a good plot. Nothing turns out badly, but there are some happy surprises. The best is how the Ch'Tis play on the "brute, simple, vulgar" stereotype to their advantage. It'd be a crime to say more. Witness the "cat as food", spitting, Philippe's appalling house decoration.Another thing I liked it is that they don't "become" somebody else. I mean, in the end you see people turn out and behave as what they are. The Abrams are not Ch'Tis, and they are wary of outsiders. I'm not saying anything important, but I think sociologically it makes it more valuable and respectful. It has the perfect moderate amount of conflict for making it interesting besides the "chic vs coarse" theme. Antoine's induced alcoholism, his love interest for Annabelle, his overbearing but loving "maman", Julie's neurosis, always finding fault at everything Philippe does, him lying all the time, finally for no reason.Kad Merad is one of the best comedy actors I've ever seen. He's got a natural talent for mimicking and copying all their local pronunciation, accents, and even ways of having fun. His scam with "neurological twitching" included was masterful.Dany Boon is of course perfect, his face says it all. They have good talks despite being utterly different. Great scene of male friendship, that form of art, at the beach and "not crying" later. His two sidekicks steal the show. Even their way of dressing is just perfect. Both young women of the film are beautiful, specially Anne Marivin, always bustling with activity. I'd have liked Zoé Félix to have more to say than just grouch and be a pain, until her nice acknowledgment near the end (that she may also have something to do with all this). The funny copper Patrick Bosso has one of those vital small roles that differentiate a good from a great film. Notice how the speed at which he drives is a function of Philippe's moods :).Line Renaud, from "Le silence de l'épervier" (TV) among others, is beautiful as an intrusive and contradictory (witness Anabelle's face at the post office, the only time they "speak") mum who, in a way, "only wants the best for her sun", but harasses poor Antoine following him to his dead end job with food and constantly fearing he'd be ill but, her serious talk with him was so matter-of-fact, (while peeling potatoes, mind you!) that his face of relief afterwards is worth the price of the ticket. If you have family or friends in the province, you've probably feel as Philippe does. They are wary, probably will give you a couple headaches with their "sense of humour" and yes, they "eat strangely", but with their heart and warmth they'll probably more than make up for it.Try to follow their French. I'd say 60% of the fun is there. It's carefully geared so as for you to "learn the codes". They even teach you how to speak and "translate" the language, twice. Which consists of letter replacement and pronunciation as well as particles that just "don't mean anything", social rules "they invite you in when you drop by", and even intonation (the "from the guts" interjection in the end). In short, if you play moderate attention you'll end up speaking like' em. Or at least, understanding it perfectly and using its funny way of speaking outside the cinema. I suppose it's a matter of why and how we learn. They are SO friendly and honest, these people, that you end up wanting them. And when you feel safe and in company, you learn twice, right :)!"dbdumonteil" on IMDb as usual, wrote a great review, I won't touch on the topics he did.I'm very glad that this film is a commercial success. I also liked the latest Asterix iteration, but this one probably has more humane content. Here in Argentina we can't be so picky about European/ French cinema. What comes is little and far between, so one just watches everything. This, with "Le diner des cons" is probably the best French comedy I've seen. The "Les Bronzés" series was also smashing, but it somehow lacked "somebody to identify with". Something this film has plenty of.Wisely it doesn't even touch social issues like unemployment and redneck political views. Consequently, achieving a bigger, almost universal "market share".Enjoy!
