Le Diner de Cons (1998) (Eng Title: The Dinner Game) with trailer

My expectations were not high for this French farcical comedy, but I was pleasant surprised at how funny yet simple the whole idea is. The narrative of the film is about a few upper class men who devise a little bet with each other on who could bring the most idiotic and simple guest to their dinner parties. Each one go and search for the ideal candidate to show off to the others, one of the men, Pierre Brochant (Thierry Lhermitt) believes he has found his winner....

Enter our idiot, Francois Pignon (Jacques Villeret) a tax official with a hobby of making historical monuments from matchsticks. When Pierre invites him round to examine his backing for the dinner games, he accidentally does his back in and is unable to attend the nights function. When Francois turns up, he inadvertently cause damage to Pierre, his life and his overall well being throughout the short running time of this feature.

The film tilts you to sympathises with our idiot as he comes across as this sad and lonely figure who feels flattered that he's being shown some form of acceptance that someone would be interested in his hobby and may publish his work in a book. A cruel joke which backfires on Pierre (who is also shown some brief glimpse of sympathy when everything that Francois does to help only makes matter worse!)

From mistaken identities, to a play on words and names, to ridiculous situations ranging from impersonating movie producers and hiding furniture's from a tax inspector, it's a witty and intelligent yet funny and madcap. The entire film is mainly set in an apartment in Paris and it's astonishing very well played out. The acting from both leads and the supporting cast are thoroughly solid. When you think things can't get any worse for Pierre, Francois goes ahead and tops his last effort trying to resolve or make things better for his new "friend" only for it to go from bad to worse. Even with the obvious set ups to the jokes and punchlines, it's still very funny, with the right amount of humour interlaced with unbelievable acts of buffoonery, the joke is never on the idiot but in actual fact lies with Pierre. We are invited to laugh at his ever worsening situation whilst Francois is just the innocent bystander who does and say stupid things but we are laughing with him more than at him.

The development of the characters (especially Francois) give the film it's heart. What starts out to be a film about the socially inept and idiots of this world turns out to show us that the refined, sophisticated and cultured men of this world are also idiots. They just don't show it outwardly like our films idiot!

Enjoyable and entertaining 80 minutes which I wholeheartedly recommend. It was just a shame that Hollywood has stolen this little film and remade it chuckle free starring Steve Carell and Paul Rudd (Dinner For Schmucks).

16/20