The Dinner Game is the latest film from French writer/director Francis Veber. Thierry L`Hermitte plays Pierre Brochant, a rich publisher who's at his wits end about where to find a guest dumb enough to be in the competition. He stumbles on Francois Pignon (Jacques Villeret), a humble accountant whose claim to fame is making models of famous buildings with matchsticks. When Francois meets up with Pierre in the latter's apartment just before the dinner, things start badly and quickly go from there to disastrous. Francois is one of those people who just naturally do or say the wrong thing all the time.
This film, which was adapted from Veber's own stageplay, was a huge success in France. It's pretty much a revenge of the nerd tale which doesn't particularly care about hiding its stage origins. Villeret played Pignon on the stage and he is completely delightful as the bumbling fool who has every good intention. Thierry L`Hermitte counterbalances him beautifully. This is a light, enjoyable film in which a pretentious bourgeois life is turned into chaos. And that's fun to watch.David's comments: Classic French farce, brought to the screen by author Francis Veber, whose stage production was a long-running success in Paris. Overcoming a disagreeable premise, the film hits its stride in the wonderfully comic performance of Jacques Villeret – and the earnest tax inspector is a great comic creation. The film is in Scope, so plays better on the cinema screen.
