I got the DVD of this movie as a birthday gift from some in-laws who watched it on an international plane flight and (for some reason), thought I would enjoy it. I mostly stick with Hollywood movies, so I had no idea what to expect from "Bienvenue a la Chtis", but I gave the DVD a spin over the holidays when things were slow...and I ended up truly enjoying the film.
Admittedly there isn't anything especially new about the premise of the film (story tellers have been riffing on the idea for decades in things like "Northern Exposure", "Doc Hollywood", and even the Pixar movie "Cars"),but these guys know how to put a film together - how to structure a story arc, how to write funny, amusing dialog (even in subtitles, the word play and the jokes about dialects were funny), and in general how keep things moving while still including plenty of telling details and charming character bits.
The cast is also very strong; there's a nice group chemistry evident in most scenes, and there isn't a flat tire in the bunch.
I still haven't been converted into a French cinephile, but I certainly liked this particular French film and I'm very glad I got a chance to see it.
Admittedly there isn't anything especially new about the premise of the film (story tellers have been riffing on the idea for decades in things like "Northern Exposure", "Doc Hollywood", and even the Pixar movie "Cars"),but these guys know how to put a film together - how to structure a story arc, how to write funny, amusing dialog (even in subtitles, the word play and the jokes about dialects were funny), and in general how keep things moving while still including plenty of telling details and charming character bits.
The cast is also very strong; there's a nice group chemistry evident in most scenes, and there isn't a flat tire in the bunch.
I still haven't been converted into a French cinephile, but I certainly liked this particular French film and I'm very glad I got a chance to see it.