A fitfully funny French comedy, this is a chick flick with such a blokey inflection that it will simultaneously appeal to and irritate both genders.
A brilliantly edited opening and title sequence take us from the first meeting to the engagement of Thomas (Boubil), an aimless wannabe songwriter and high-flying diplomatic attache Lola (Bernier). Within minutes she is taking him home to meet her parents, who are scarcely an inspiration.
Mother Suzanne (Kiberlain), who eats adzuki beans for breakfast, is busy diverting the business fortune of father Gilbert (Chabat) to aid projects in Africa; the latter vegetates sullenly in front of the television.
When the two men discover that they have something in common - they can't stand the way their respective partners leave sentences unfinished - a bond is formed. The film's impelling idea turns the traditional father-in-law/son-in-law relationship on its head. Gilbert wants to persuade Thomas not to get married lest he end up like him.
This is the cue for some fairly adolescent adventures (they treat the wine-tasting booth in the supermarket as a bar), that will gradually pull them away from their respective partners until the predictable rapproachement.
There are genuinely funny set pieces in the film (and some seriously unfunny ones too), but they never come together to create a coherent sense of characters on a journey.
And it takes us no closer to an explanation of the enduring mystery that is French pop music.
Cast:
Alain Chabat, Max Boublil, Sandrine Kiberlain, Melanie Bernier, Arie Elmaleh, Elisa Sednaoui, Alban Lenoir, Francois Dunoyer, Nicolas Briancon, Iggy Pop.
Director:
Anthony Marciano
Running time:
97 mins
Rating:
M (offensive language, sexual references, drug use) In French with English subtitles
Verdict:
Clever comic set pieces never hang together.
- TimeOut