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Guide Picks - Top French-Language Comedy Movies |
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I love movies, especially
comedies, but I personally don't think that there are many funny French movies. My sense of
humor just doesn't seem to "get" most French film. However, I gave
this some serious thought recently and was able to come up with a number of
great French comedies. As you'll see below, several of them are by Francis
Veber, so I guess he and I are on the same wavelength! :-) |
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1) Dîner de cons
/ The Dinner Game
This is one of my favorite movies of all time. A group of friends get together
every week with a guest, and secretly vote on whose guest is the biggest « con ». One fine day, one of the friends gets stuck with his guest, and
disaster ensues. Very funny movie by Francis Veber. It's currently being remade in the US as Dinner for Shmucks.
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2) Le Placard / The Closet
When a man working for a condom company learns that he is about to
be fired, he pretends to be gay and thus forces the company, fearing
a lawsuit, to keep him on. With Daniel Auteuil and Gerard Depardieu,
directed by Francis Veber.
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3) Delicatessen
Black, searing, bizarre, and completely original comedy about a delicatessen for
cannibals. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro.
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4) Ma
Vie en rose / My Life in Pink
This beautiful, touching comedy/drama is about a boy who wants to be a
girl. He swaps clothing with a girl friend, wears heels and make-up, and gets a
lot of grief from parents, teachers, and neighbors. Directed by Belgian
film-maker Alain Berliner.
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5) Les
Visiteurs / The Visitors
Classic fish-out-of-water tale about two men (played by Jean Reno and Christian
Clavier) from the 12th century who travel through time and find themselves in modern
day France. The highest grossing comedy of all time in France, directed by Jean-Marie Poiré,
remade in the US as Just Visiting.
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6) La
Cage aux folles / Birds of a Feather
When the son of a gay man announces his engagement, the father and his
lover dress up as and pretend to be man and wife in order to avoid shocking the fiancée
and her parents. Remade in the US as
The Birdcage.
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7) Le
Million / The Million
This black & white musical comedy from 1931 set the standard for the
use of sound in movies. It's also a hilarious story about a lost lottery ticket
and the many misadventures in trying to get it back. Directed by René Clair.
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8) La Cité des enfants perdus
/ The City of Lost Children
It's tough to describe this movie, so I'll just give you some
highlights.
There's a castle; a mad scientist; Siamese twins; a floating, talking brain; and a band of clones. Sound bizarre? It is, and if you like that
kind of thing, this is a great movie. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro.
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9) Mon
Oncle / My Uncle
The protagonist of this 1958 film visits his sister and grapples with
the high-tech gadgets in her ultra-modern house. Directed by Jacques
Tati.
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10) La
Discrète Charme de la bourgeoisie / The Discreet Charm of the
Bourgeoisie
Surreal, bizarre black comedy. A group of friends repeatedly
meet in order to eat together and are thwarted each time. Directed by Luis Buñuel.
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