Studio executives
summary / pitch
|
| Hilarious
French language satire on political correctness. Daniel Auteuil and Gérard
Depardieu have agreed to star. |
Short plot
summary |
|
François
Pignon (Daniel
Auteuil) is a dull guy/accountant about to be fired. A new
gay neighbor persuades him to take part in a scheme to keep his job - he is to
pretend that he is gay. Pictures
are manipulated with François slapping a bare botty. They are sent
into work. He is not fired, in fact he is promoted in the ensuing hilarity... |
Please
tell me the ending or whole plot if necessary |
| Rugby
playing nonpolitically correct brute Félix Santini (Gérard
Depardieu) is told (as a joke) by his colleagues that he must reform his ways.
Félix
is told to befriend recently outed but not gay François.
Félix is told his job is on the line and management don't like nonpolitically
correct employees. Félix
gives it his best shot, but, when he buys a pink jumper as a birthday present
for François, his wife sees the store receipt and demands an explanation.
She leaves him after following him to François's
door with a bag of chocolates (François
has been beaten up in a gay bashing from two rugby players at work). Félix
has a nervous breakdown (just after he has asked François to live
with him). François becomes a hero when he agrees to sit on the
company's float in a gay carnival (he works for a condom manufacturer). François'
son, who previously thought he was too dull, sees it and befriends him. Even his
divorced wife wants to meet to have lunch with him. A female colleague at work
sees through the charade and has an affair with him. Everything ends happily ever
after. |
What our
panel of critics thought |
|
"A
light hearted European farce on political correctness. Auteuil and Depardieu
are perfectly cast." "Depardieu
plays the dumb homophobic comic lump to great effect. Bravo!" "The
moment the boss puts the condom hat on François is simply the funniest
thing I have seen all year. The next time I put on a condom I was inconsolable
with mirth for hours afterwards, I haven't had safe sex for over six months." "I
am gay and so is my wife. We ate marshmallows while we watched. I have never choked
so much in all of my life. A triumph of comedic entertainment." "One
of the most uncomfortable dinners in movie history. Depardieu serves up a comedy
delight on each plate!" |
What
snack should I eat while watching this movie?
|
French
cuisine with a nice red wine. |
Quotable
quotes (real) |
|
Secretary (just
after receiving the gay photos in the mail): "I always knew it! It's the
way he looks at you! Like a pigeon!" Chief Accountant: "Are all pigeons
gay?" "They
call you gay because you hate gays. Hang out with one to prove you are not gay!" Boss
to Chief Accountant, offering consolation after Pignon has accused her of sexual
harassment: "Tons of men in this establishment would love to be harassed
by you!" |
Could
a gay carnival be based on anything in this movie? |
| The
Paris Condom Rally, held annually between 1982-1993, was the inspiration here.
|
If
I were to watch this on video/DVD how best should I sit? |
| In
the hernia neutral position: If you have a family history of hernias then ensure
that you sit in any position in which you can quickly grab your crotch during
some of the funnier scenes. Do
not watch this movie if you have a weak collar bone. |
Justify this movie's existence in the Classic Strand, by the Voice of Reason's
Professor Veritable Cornucopia |
It
is quite a shock to see that this movie is certificated as an R in the USA, and
a 15 in the UK, when in Europe it is rated lowly:
according to IMBD.com, in France this movie was given a U, Spain a 7. There is
a brief, funny, moment in which we see sex on a production line, but there's no
machine gun based murder anywhere... A
truly hilarious, well directioned, satire on political correctness. The
laughs are all pretty much slapstick in nature. This movie is a delight from start
to finish and there are few down moments, despite a gay bash and office based
politics. The
sun shines throughout. Truly entertaining. This is a feel good French movie, thankfully
without the garlic bread, frog legs and snail pudding. Or is that a stereotype?
Hmmmm.... |
Is
there enough licky love in this film?
|
One
moment of boinkyness in front of Japanese people. Lots
of being misunderstood and feeling awkward whilst talking about homosexuality... |
How funny is this film? |
The
bit where he puts the condom hat on his head is a carpet munching delightful. |
Does this film stand up
to rigorous reality testing? |
|
110%. |
Would
the scary bits make your cat jump out of your lap causing scratch marks? Would
your dog like it? Other pets?
|
| Depardieu
has dogs panting all over France for his undoubted athletic prowess. He can probably
throw a stick further than any international movie star, but seems compassionate
enough not to throw it into a river or over a cliff, what more can a timid movie
watching dog want? Cats
fear a man who can throw things that far and may hide, taking solace in a saucer
of milk, or even an empty saucer if there is no milk in it. Toothy
munching animals (that hold their food, such as nuts or berries, in their ickle
front paws when they eat - sometimes pushing the food into their cheeks to make
them look even cuter) may take their cuteness to another level during this movie,
trying backflips unexpectedly. |
How much would you pay
for a copy of this movie in food. |
|
A
nice pasta-and-tomato-all-mixed-together-in-a-bowl meal. |
Would
this movie win awards for performances of the f-word? |
| It's
all in French movie dudes... |
Please attempt over effusiveness
in a foreign language. |
|
Une marvelous
(we don't know any French). Fantastique. Tres bien crunchie mon cabbage! |
Other
comments |
A
classic French movie. There's not much else to say: fantastic, brilliant, there's
two more words. Totally recommended. |