FRANCIS VEBER
Bil’s rating (out of 5): BBBB.
France, 1998. Gaumont, EFVE, TF1 Films Production, Written by Francis Veber. Cinematography by Luciano Tovoli. Produced by Alain Poire. Music by Vladimir Cosma. Production Design by Hugues Tissandier. Costume Design by Jacqueline Bouchard. Film Editing by Georges Klotz. Toronto International Film Festival 1998.
Excellent comedy that provides plenty of laughs, skillfully adapted by Francis Veber from his own stage play. A corporate snob (Thierry Lhermitte) gathers together with a group of friends every once in a while for a ‘dinner of idiots’, where each member of the group brings with them the biggest dolt they’ve met and a contest is held to see who is the most inane among them. After he throws his back out just prior to leaving his house to attend the dinner, Lhermitte receives a personal visit from his idiot (Jacques Villeret), a tax auditor with an obsession for recreating famous monuments with matchsticks. An evening of poking fun at the hapless fool is turned right around as Villeret proceeds to accidentally ruin Lhermitte’s marriage and get him in trouble with the law, a healthy comeuppance if ever the big guy deserved one. Brilliantly scripted and brimming with delightful performances, this is a priceless comedy that you’ll want to watch more than once. Later remade as Dinner for Schmucks.
