Softwing Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?

Lucia Ayala It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Raymond Sierra The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

R. Ignacio Litardo How to forget this beginning, with Antoine (François Cluzet), a "failed writer" (like probably many in the audience) writing endlessly to his former girlfriend, each time lying more, giving a version of his success more distant to his low reality. The first phrase about Fred: "he has astonishing capacity to do nothing" is like a mantra, he's the best at that :)! The heist to Antoine's former job (and is aftermath), like Fred's botched attempts at photography to get to Claire Laroche's Agnes. Who's nothing special, but in the context of this professional losers, becomes like a diva, a porn star and an intellectual. The way he finally ends up making himself "useful" is weird to say the least :). Agnes's boyfriend acts and looks sick, a sexual pervert who could resort to anything. And Fred just doesn't care... Nonchalant as ever! Scenes like the Karate instructor's punishment to Antoine would have been botched with most characters, not with Cluzet, who seems to be born to the role. He enters the tatami already cowering, knowing his defeat. Then he's a bit cheeky, like: "What are these suckers doing?". Only later, when he realizes that he's next, and he's going to be trashed... his look is just hilarious! Nowhere better applied this axiom that "the attitude with which you face problems precludes, or causes, the way you'll handle them". Or their attempt to "be nice" to the flat owner, Fred being "a student" (said with the same panache than most real life loafers :)), Antoine even pretends to be ending medicine (and has to suffer the consequences!).Heartly recommended! Cluzet played Luc (the killer's best "friend") at "L' Adversaire" (2002), and before L'Enfer, making life miserable to beau Emmanuelle Béart which demonstrates what a versatile actor he is. Pierre Salvadori had just directed Cible émouvante, a similar story. When I saw this film I just couldn't stop making connections with Bertolucci's "The dreamers". But whereas Bernardo's dream conveyed no empathy for any of the characters, in here we like them both (and they're not exactly likable or have "redeeming qualities", like Tom Brooks (BBC's "Talking Movies"'s presenter) uses to say for criticizing bad movies.IMDb's reviewer dbdumonteil is right at: "its tendency to keep an uplifting look in gloomy social conditions" and "focus on these two unconventional people, unable to adapt themselves properly to the society and to cope (...)".The ending is FINE in the sense that there are no Hollywood changes, uplifting morales or corny music. Just life, in its endless complexity, like on Martha Stout's book "The myth of sanity".Overally, fun and enlightening story about characters who just couldn't care less for society, but end up with us caring for them.

writers_reign With The Learners Pierre Salvadori impinges on Francis Veber territory - two conflicting personalities obliged to share a screen for 90 minutes or so - and he brings it off rather well, so much so in fact that both Guillaume Depardieu and Francois Cluzet were nominated for Cesars (Most Promising and Best Actor respectively) and Depardieu actually won - though Cluzet, a far better actor, went one better when he won a Best Actor Cesar a couple of years ago for Ne le dis a personne. This was only Salvadori's third film and only slightly inferior to his second Cible Emouvant; he turned out another faux Veber with Apres Vous and most lately ripped off Breakfast At Tiffaney's with Hors de Prix. There's much to admire in The Learners both verbal and visual and arguably Guillaume Depardieu has still to find a role as satisfying as Fred which is not a problem afflicting Cluzet, veteran of a good dozen fine roles in fine films. I was glad to have caught up with this one at last after missing it first time round.

stryker-5 How often does a comedy film actually make you laugh out loud? There were several occasions when this one had me roaring. It's the story of two young men squatting in a Paris apartment and scraping a living of sorts. This is Frenchmen Behaving Badly.Antione (Francois Cluzot) is the nervy hypochondriac with literary pretensions. His physical resemblance to Dustin Hoffman is remarkable, and he exhibits the same quirky neurotic intensity.Fred is played by Guillaume Depardieu, son of Gerard. Whereas Antoine has bouts of self-loathing over this down-and-out existence, Fred is the genuine article. He lies and steals as easily as breathing, and he has refined laziness into an art form.The relationship of the two men is the wellspring of much of the humour, and the pairing works splendidly. Their bitter-sweet partnership is both funny and touching. Their high point, the relief and elation after the burglary, is embodied in their early morning walk through the food market, the symbolic return of colour and prosperity to their lives. When the downturn comes, Fred proves himself to be much more than a vacant layabout, and friendship ultimately triumphs over illness and despair.The Paris of this film isn't the 'ville lumiere' of monuments and rive-gauche cafes. This is more 19th arondissement than 9th. Rather than designers' studios, these real, gritty streets are lined with carpet shops.A nicely-observed comedy of human manners and foibles, "Les Apprentis" has liberal helpings of warmth and charm, and its greatest blessing is, it's very funny.

MossMan A couple of dead-beats living together in a friend's flat find out that they're going to have to move out. Now they have to get hold of some money, and sort out their love-lives while they're about it.Basically a buddy movie, but with some absolutely brilliant moments - made me laugh out loud several times. I won't describe what creates these scenes, since it could spoil it for you, but I would definitely recommend it for anyone who can speak French or read the subtitles (as I did).9/10