Chonesday It's one of the most original films you'll likely see all year, which, depending on your threshold for certifiably crazy storylines, could be a rewarding experience or one that frustrates you.

Teddie Blake The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Justina The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Kirpianuscus one of comedies who reminds, again, the splendid art of de Funes. a art who is not defined by gags or small angry man but for the science to collaborate with the partner. Coluche does a great work as part of couple with Louis de Funes and that is the key of the charming situations and fine humor. Julien Guiomar does the perfect portrait of the enemy of mister Duchemin. and the hilarious situations are the ideal package for the illustration of conflict between tradition and new technology. a film about food and about joy of life. memorable scenes and great challenges to food industry from our days. that detail does it great. and, sure, the talent of a great actor who creates not exactly characters but universes.

t_atzmueller If it takes me to explain to you that the French take their cuisine very seriously, you probably have just arrived on this planet and seek somebody to take you to our leader. Sure, cheese that reek like dead mans feet, stuffed duck or escargot (that's snails, in case you live in the States) are not everybody's cup of tea. But taste is debatable. Quality is not and for things concerning (culinary) quality, you need not look further than La Belle France. It doesn't come as a huge surprise hence that many French films concern themselves with the kitchen and even less of a surprise that master-comedian (and passionate chef in his own rights) Louis de Funes would eventually take the topic on.Publicist Charles Duchemin (de Funes) is the bane of all French restaurants: His food-guide bestows the much coveted Duchemin-Stars upon the restaurants (or takes them away if warranted – which is more often the case than not). Having some of the keenest taste-buds in all of France, Duchemin takes it upon himself to "test" the individual restaurants, usually disguised as a harmless (looking) old lady or an American tourist. But Duchemin has a nemesis of his own: scheming Jacques Tricatel (deliciously slimy Julien Guiomar), industrial food-producer that delivers virtually artificial food to chains and roadside Inns. Being challenged to a TV-interview by Tricatel, Duchemin (after having almost been 'poisoned' by eating some of Tricatels produces) has lost his sense of taste, yet must save French cuisine somehow.It is my firm opinion that de Funes later films were also his best. This goes for "The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob", his second-to-last feature "The Cabbage Soup" as well as "L'aile ou la cuisine", filmed shortly after de Funes had recovered from a massive heart-attack. Perhaps it was his failing health and age that made the comedian (slightly) move away from his hyper-paced screen-persona to a more subtle humour (despite all the typical trademarks still being present, albeit tuned down). In the past, de Funes sidekicks had a hard time not being paled out by de Funes performance, but in his later years you could tell, that the comedian timed his humour so as to give the other cast-member some breathing space. In this case comedian Coluche, playing de Funes son and reluctant partner-in-crime, who would rather be a circus-clown than a connoisseur. Like de Funes, Coluche has mastered the art of physical slapstick without turning the gags into an infantile farce. The scene, where he inherently mimics a waiter with a nervous disorder, is pure slapstick gold, turning it almost into an art-form.Apart from being one of de Funes last few films, it does have a rather depressing prophecy. If you have travelled through France and Belgium, the hearts of European cuisine in recent days, you will have noticed the abundance of fast-food-joints in the cities and highway-stops. You may even have tried the grub there (I refuse to call it food) and, if you have seen the film, you may have looked around, looking whether you'd spot the "Tricatel"-logo anywhere, perhaps printed on the thigh of a chicken – if indeed chicken it was that they were serving.Still, the film remains a delight and a clean 8/10

Quadruplex This is undoubtedly one of the better flicks with de Funès. But the writers sacrificed logic for cheap laughs. After a while, that gets very annoying.Examples? The scene in the filthy restaurant. "Duchemin", disguised as American tourist, is not only served the lousiest food. He also witnesses numerous yucky incidents in the kitchen. The only possible reaction for a restaurant critic would have been to leave the scene immediately and alert the board of health.But for a few, not overly funny jokes, the plot stays in the restaurant. What a riot...When Duchemin and his son intrude the Tricatel factory, we are lured to believe that there, chickens, fish and lettuce are made from rubber. That may look funny, but it totally undermines Duchemin's quest for excellent food. It would have made more sense if they had found yucky conditions, low-grade ingredients etc. But this would not have induced as many cheap laughs as plastic chicken - unless the writers would have bothered to come up with a plot that is slightly more credible AND funny.If "L'aile ou la cuisse" is on TV for free and you have nothing better to do: watch it. If your mother tongue isn't French and you want to study the language: get a DVD (provided the french version is on it).But don't expect an overly clever story...

RealLiveClaude This movie, though shot a while back and its two stars (De Funes and Coluche) are gone up there, is still actual.A renowned French restaurant reviewer, Duchemin, is about to quit and leave it to his rather bohemian son, who prefers doing a clown in a circus rather than follows his dad's footsteps. A food promoter, Tricatel, wants to nail him by providing his bad "fast food" through regional French restaurants, by challenging him in a TV show. Wanting to prove his food is no good, Duchemin decides to take his son on a restaurant tour across France, but Tricatel gets hold of the scheme. It's up to them to get into Tricatel's food processing plant to prove that he serves vile food to french restaurateurs.This type of movie makes us think of what can be served in restaurants might not be as good as it pretends. However, lots of funny moments, and Coluche love interest, Marguerite, is not bad to see either in this movie.A must-see if you think twice before eating in a restaurant...