The Dinner Game (Le Diner De Cons)
Directed by Francis Veber.
Starring: Thierry Lhermitte, Jacques Villeret.
During the course of this film all my fears about the state of my French were confirmed. Without the subtitles I would have been lost. Even so, there is one word no-one can help but take note of and that is the elusive “cons” of the original title. Alternately translated as “idiot”, “fool” and “asshole”, it has a certain desperate tone; how can anyone really be that stupid?!
A group of rich, obnoxious and self-centred men meet every Wednesday for dinner, each bringing their own guest fool. Without letting their guests know, the men have them competing in a most bizarre and unpleasant way. The one who brings the biggest fool wins. This particular week, Brochant (Thierry Lhermitte) is sure of winning thanks to a pathetic tax inspector with a passion for reproducing famous buildings from match sticks. Unfortunately, Brochant injures his back during a game of golf and from then on his life starts falling apart. His guest idiot, Pignon (brilliantly played by Jacques Villeret) tries with vigour to help him out but only manages, as the clumsy fool he is, to make life even worse.
One of the things that makes this film funny, despite its vicious deception from Pignon of his actual purpose for being invited (he thinks Brochant wants to publish a book of his models), is the fact that the guest constantly finds things to laugh about. He has a catchy snigger, so we are laughing as much with him as at him.
Even though it is obvious that the screenplay is an adaptation of director Francis Veber’s own stage play, it never feels cramped as the sets are so good. At times we even see the Eiffel Tower through the windows of Brochant’s flat. A tight script and impressive performances makes The Dinner Game an experience more pleasant than most American comedies. There is a cringe factor, but the smiles the film produces certainly make up for the few awkward moments.
Sol
