Interesteg What makes it different from others?

Diagonaldi Very well executed

Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Adeel Hail Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Bob Taylor It's a struggle to get through this family drama, or maybe nervous breakdown would be a better description. The Menards are a grim bunch: Philippe is near the top of his firm, but is a miserable bully who can't stop running down his wife, siblings and anyone else who comes into view; Henri is without ambition or even contentment with his place as manager of the family restaurant--bitter wisecracks are the only contribution he's able to make to the proceedings; Betty is 30 and drifting with no husband and few job prospects. Some flashbacks to 1967 when the three were children offer some relief from the gloom.The action is interrupted only twice; once when Denis the waiter, who functions as a sort of chorus, takes the morose Yolande onto the dance floor as the run-down Scopitone machine plays a Patti Smith song (surely an exotic number for a down-market place like this?). The other break comes when Henri leaves to try to coax his angry wife into returning to him--you are entirely on her side. I find that Cedric Klapisch enjoys making us miserable, else why would he have bothered with this story?

kenneth groom If like me you like French films, you will like this one. There is no plot to speak of and no time wasted in car-chases and violent action sequences. There is just fascinating dialogue and the interaction of interesting characters, plus the expression of real emotion and nuances of feeling. There is an intimacy with the characters that is typically French and which the Americans rarely achieve. At the end of the film you feel you know and understand these people and are wiser for having known them. I loved the performance of Catherine Frot in the film. She was delicious and made the character of Yolande incredibly appealing and lovable. What a crying shame she should have shackled herself to such a self-centred, unappreciative husband. He was the luckiest man alive and yet too obtuse to realise it. How appallingly sad. The high-light of the film for me was the little dance Yolande had with the quiet, philosophic bar-man Denis, played by Jean Pierre Darroussin, who, revealing his kind heart, offered to dance with her when her insensitive husband refused - despite the fact that it was supposed to be her birthday celebration. Denis's skillful dancing surprised them all, and disclosed a whole new aspect of his personality. There is a touching moment at the bar when Yolande, suspecting Betty's romantic interest and trying to encourage it, says to her with a lovely winsome expression; "He's a good dancer." And at the end of the film when Betty and Denis are seen to declare their love for each other, she says delightedly, to the chagrin of her snobbish and spiteful mother-in-law; "You know what this means? It means he's going to be part of the family."

burneyfan If like me you like French films, you will like this one. There is noplot to speak of and no time wasted in car-chases and violent actionsequences. There is just fascinating dialogue and the interaction ofintereresting characters, plus the expression of real emotion andnuances of feeling. There is an intimacy with the characters that istypically French and which the Americans rarely achieve. At the end ofthe film you feel you know and understand these people and are wiser forhaving known them.I loved the performance of Catherine Frot in the film, She was deliciousand made the character of Yolande incredibly appealing and lovable.What a crying shame she should have shackled herself to such aself-centred, unappreciative husband. He was the luckiest man alive andyet too obtuse to realize it. Hows appallingly sad.The high-light of the film for me was the little dance Yolande had withthe quiet, philosophic bar-man Denis, played by Jean-Pierre Darroussin,who, revealing his kind heart, offered to dance with her when herinsensitive husband refused - despite the fact that it was supposed tobe her birthday celebration. Denis's skillful dancing surprised them all, and disclosed a whole newaspect of his personality. There is a touching moment at the bar whenYolande, suspecting Betty's romantic interest and trying to encourageit, says to her with a lovely winsome expression; `He's a good dancer.' And at the end of the film when Betty and Denis are seen to declaretheir love for each other, she says delightedly, to the chagrin of hersnobbish and spiteful mother-in-law; `You know what this means? It meanshe's going to be

anthony.bodin This French comedy is one of the best of the last years with "On connait la chanson" & "Le diner de cons". I believe that this movie should be very difficult to understand for non-french people or for those who don't know very well our humor. Personally, I love this movie and the actors who are playing in it. Particularly Jean Pierre Bacri with his mimics and his faculty to be hilarious. He has written the script with Agnes Jaoui and this is not a surprise to see that they've succeeded in writting an excellent comedy. In fact they have written many scripts together and they were often very good movies. As many as the others French comedies, I don't know what is the result with the english translation, but I think you should watch it in french version because a good part of the actors play's is in their way of talking and their voice intonation's. And this is very difficult to translate.