The Dinner Guest is another of those brittle-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside French comedies that we’ve come to know so well. And with good reason too – they’ve been making the same film for years. They always star Daniel Auteuil because he’s the nice guy that everyone knows – he might chew your head off if the mood caught him, but he could also be relied upon to put the rubbish out if you forgot. You know, French"¦
So it is with Gerard (Auteuil), who lives with his hare-brained wife (Valerie Lemercier) in a modest Parisian apartment. He’s in line for a new job, but first the manager wants to meet the couple over dinner"¦at Gerard’s place! Cue the comedy as the couple panic about their home, their lives and their very selves, fearing that the wrong impression will cost Gerard his job. 'Managers are evil," assures their pushy neighbour (Thierry Lhermitte), a 'consultant" who insists on performing a lifestyle makeover. Telegraphs arrive thick and fast as Matisse prints are exchanged for original art, and Gerard is coached on interview etiquette. Ooh la la!
Based on the book that became a play, The Dinner Guest is sprightly entertainment, but little more. Director Laurent Bouhnik doesn’t take things far from the source, and not far from similar fish-out-of-water fare like The Closet and The Valet. Lemercier adds sparkle as the put upon wife who learns the difference between a beefy Burgundy and Boeuf Bourguignon, while Bouhnik riffs on the values of trust and friendship. There’s nothing new about The Dinner Guest: it’s a cinematic doona that saves the best bits – out-takes during the credits – for last.
Filmink 2.5/5
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