Product Details

• Actors: Thierry Lhermitte, Jacques Villeret, Francis Huster, Daniel Prévost, Alexandra Vandernoot
• Directors: Francis Veber
• Writers: Francis Veber
• Producers: Alain Poiré
• Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Universal Studios
• DVD Release Date: April 25, 2000
• Run Time: 80 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (92 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0783239955
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #89,122 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Dinner Game" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

From The New Yorker

Francis Veber's movie sounds disappointingly courteous; the original French title, "Le Dîner de Cons," is much ruder and certainly closer to the misanthropic spirit of this farce. The premise is as entertaining as you could hope for: every Wednesday, a bunch of smart young Parisians hold a dinner, to which each of them must invite a complete idiot. In this case, Pierre (Thierry Lhermitte) is delighted with his latest catch, Pignon (Jacques Villeret), a spherical buffoon whose principal talent is for making models out of matchsticks. Needless to say, Pierre's plan stumbles when Pignon offers to help him sort out his life. No one could claim that the film is a distinguished contribution to cinema, but it would be churlish to resist its geniality and speed. In French. -Anthony Lane
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Product Description

Item Name: The Dinner Game; Studio: Lions Gate

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

86 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best french comedies i've seen, June 5, 2000

By 

Delilah Kanes - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dinner Game (DVD)

I first saw this movie at the Taos Talking Pictures Film Festival in 1999. It had the whole audience laughing hysterically, me included.

The humor is based on comedy of errors. I don't think I quite agree with the review that says this movie has a reserved sense of humor. The reason some may believe that is that this is not slapstick, punchline type of humor. Instead, your laughing as the situation gets worse and worse and worse through the character's confusions and bad judgements.

The plot is interesting. Four buddies have a "dinner game" every week, in which they invite the worst (best?) idiot that can be found. The one who brings the most idiotic person, wins. It is interesting how serious each pursue their idiots. Some go so far as to "network" and send agents on the look out for an idiot. But the idiot that takes the cake and the co-starring role in this movie is quite the nice guy, if a bit on the bumbling fool side. He just has a weird passion: building matchstick models of famous buildings like the Eiffel Tower. He is Pierre's idiot for the Wednesday dinner.

Unfortunately, Pierre severely hurts his back playing golf that day and must cancel his appearance at the idiot dinner. But when the idiot stops by, he becomes so concerned for Pierre and his hurt back that he sticks around and tries to "help" him out.

And that is where everything truly falls apart.

You may have to have some initial patience if you are looking for the imediate funnies. It doesn't start to get crazy until about 30 minutes into the film.

This is one of those movies that you can see dozens of times and keep laughing. I have.

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great gem of a movie, September 3, 2003

By 

cookieman108 "cookieman108®" (Inside the jar...) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dinner Game (DVD)

After reading postive reviews on [Amazon.com] about this movie, I decided to check it out for myself. This is a great movie! The set up is as follows...a group of guys get together once a week and they have to bring the biggest idiot they can find to a dinner party. Whoever brings the biggest idiot wins. Thing is, the people who they consider idiots are completely unaware of the contest. This is similiar to college fraternities having an ugly girl contest, where each member has to find the ugliest girl they can, and bring her to the party.

Anyway, Pierre Brochant, played by Thierry Lhermitte, finds what he believes is the all time supreme idiot in Francois Pignon, played by Jacques Villeret. Francois particular specialty is constructing elaborate replicas of famous landmarks out of toothpicks. Pierre, who is a publisher, invites Francois to the dinner under the guise of the possibility of doing a book with regards to his models. Francois meets Pierre at Pierre's apartment, and the comedy ensues. It's not slapsticky comedy, but intelligent fare, as we see a fairly detestable individual, Pierre, get what he deserves back in spades as things just keep going wrong. Francois appears to be a harmless, nebbish sort of fellow, but the more he tries to help his new 'friend' Pierre, the worse things just seem to get.

The pacing was excellent, and the humor right on the mark. Given the popularity of this movie in France, I wouldn't be suprised to see Hollywood attempt to remake this movie, but as we've seen before, so often these remakes tend to lose the charm and originality as American producers and executives decide how best to 'improve' on a movie because they are so in tune with what American audiences like.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, really funny, August 26, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Dinner Game (DVD)

Oh mon dieu! Ce film est tres drole! It didn't make me laugh the whole way through, but then again, no movie ever has. The plot concerns a group of stuck-up upper class french guys who get their kicks by trying to find the biggest idiot they can and inviting them to dinner. Once the idiots get together, the fun is watching them talk. As you can probably tell, these guys are not the nicest out there and they probably deserve their comeuppance (spelling?). Well, don't worry 'cause one of the rich guys, a publisher perfectly played by Thierry Lhermitte accidentaly throws out his back the night of an idiot dinner. (In French, un diner de con). His invited idiot decides it is his duty to stay and help Thierry since his wife seems to be absent...
What follows, not suprisingly is top-grade humor. Few actual punchlines are to be found, which is somehow even funnier. Just because you liked, say, American Pie (I did) doesn't mean you'll hate this, but I would recommend staying away from this if you've never laughed at anything but a poo-poo joke. For the record, I think the "Belgian" phone call is one of the funniest things I have ever seen along with the expression on the tax auditor's face when he finds out where his wife is.

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