Customer Reviews

Bienvenue Chez Les Ch'tis (Welcome to the Sticks) French with English Subtitles Region 1 DVD, USA/Canada Edition

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This film has become the most-seen (among the French themselves) film in the history of French film. In fact, has been seen by more French than any other film - period. It's funny, warm, and inclusive, and holds a mirror up to French viewers to allow them to laugh at their own clichés about regional differences. The fun ranges from slapstick to very sophisticated verbal punning, based on the more-or-less incomprehensible (even to most native French speakers) regional dialect of the North of France. The puns and misunderstandings are legion, and have Francophone audiences howling with laughter in the theaters. What about non-French-speaking viewers? Well, in fact, the English-language subtitles are superb, and succeed in capturing the flavor of the humor, at times choosing an analogous joke which works well in English, rather than a direct word-for-word translation which would fall flat. (Dany Boon, the film's writer and director - and one of its lead actors - is reported to have stayed involved with the production of the subtitles, indicating his desire to have the film's communication with Anglophone viewers be as rich as possible.)

To be brief, the humor succeeds both in revealing regional cultural differences very particular to the French, and also in playing with the basic idea of strangeness in a culturally neutral fashion. Evidence to that last assertion is the fact that the rights to re-make the film in the USA - and, presumably, to reset the action in an American frame - have been bought by Will Smith's production company.

There are several other emotionally deeper subplots which make the film richer than just an exercise of the smiling muscles. The relation between the two male leads moves from initial bias, awkwardness, and distrust to a genuine emotional (not sexual) intimacy, which allows both men to find the tools to resolve fundamental relationship issues with their respective female partners. Those three stories are somewhat predictable in their trajectories, which doesn't mean at all that they lack emotional power. Classical plot devices have become classics because they work; these plots have a germ of truth within them that allows us to remain interested in the particulars of how these individual people are going to fix their broken communications, to allow the resolution of the difficulties which are the motors of these plots.

Although it's been nonsensically claimed that "20 million Frenchmen can't be wrong," in this case, they're not, and the film invites you to participate whether you're a French-speaker or not. (Yes, I know: "50," not "20." But 20 million is the box in France as of this writing.) Very highly recommended.

Our experience with French films has been one of extremes. French sensibilities do not always align with American, with the result that we either love them or hate them. This mismatch sometimes extends to the decision making on what movies should be released here or not. This movie suffered from this miscalculation. It is our understanding that Bienvenue Chez Les Ch'tis was one of the biggest hits in recent years in France. Yet, the decision was made not to release this film in the U.S., not even on DVD. You will not find this movie on cable or on Netflix. What a shame! We had to track the film down on Amazon to buy a copy released in Quebec. Our copy is now making its way through friends and family for them to enjoy.

Danny Boon has created a sweet, comic fish out of water story in which a post office manager is transferred, against his will, to the far north of France. This is the french version of the boonies, the Appalachians or the deep south. Much to his surprise he discovers that it is not what everyone assumes it to be. Yet to maintain his credibility with his family and friends back home he must maintain the fiction of a man suffering when he visits them. There is much humor in both places and in watching him go to greater extremes to maintain the lie as the story progresses.

The odds are the only way you will see this film is to buy the DVD. The cost is less than what you will waste taking someone to most movies. My advice is to spring for the film, make some popcorn and curl up with family or friends and enjoy.

This is a very funny French comedy that had my wife, friends, and I laughing throughout the movie. It is too bad that the aversion to seeing a subtitled movie means the majority of Americans will never see this joyous comedy. What we do for love can often leads to strange, ill thought out decisions that lead to unintended consequences, but nevertheless end up making us better people and enhance our lives. Allow the plot to develop and the true character of the people that we encounter to unfold and the beauty of this movie becomes apparent.

This is a WONDERFUL movie! My wife and I just returned (Nov 2011) from a glorious trip to northern France and can attest that the warmth and big hearts of the people in Nord-Pas-de-Calais are every bit as real as shown in this charming movie! We are still longing for the carbonnade (stew) and maroilles (incredible stinky cheese)! Take a holiday from the stereotypical "French" culture and embrace honest down-to-earth friendship and values of French Flanders. The worst news we heard was that this movie may be re-made with an Italian setting. NO!!! It belongs there in Nord!

I watched this movie in Germany with some classmates, and I really enjoyed it! For one of my first memorable French films I found it to be really funny and entertaining. If I were to watch a foreign film other than German, I am usually more interested in the Eastern European and Asian video world; But lately I have been watching more western movies and seeing this movie on the side bar brought back a lot of fun memories. I highly recommend this movie for a good laugh with some friends.

I saw this film on the flight back home from Paris, France in 2008. I loved it ! I found it to be entertaining and a wonderful story. I have checked over time to see if it was available. I was telling a friend about it and decided to look again. So I am thrilled to find it available to view here in the States !!! I cannot wait to watch it again.

A pleasant foreign comedy in the spirit of "The Man who Went up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain" and "Waking Ned Devine."

I've seen this movie twice on the plane last year and it's easily one of the funiest movies i've ever seen.

Excellent French comedy about a man transfered from the south of France to the furthest northern town in France. He and his family think the place is so cold that they're almost afraid of polar bears. A cop is so sympathetic when he's stopped for driving too slow on his way there, that he doesn't get a ticket. They even speak a funny sort of French there which they call "Ch'tis."

This DVD arrived quickly, was well packaged, and above all was exactly as described. It was a French film with French and English subtitles. I was worried that it would either be incompatible with USA equipment or would have only English subtitles. Good job!!