Tuesday
Sep212010
72 - So Nice of You to Join Us For "The Dinner Game"
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at 8:09PM We talk about remakes A LOT on the show, so this week it was time to put our money where our mouthes are.
Since "Dinner for Schmucks" was recently out in theaters, and there wasn't really a lot of discussion about it being a remake, we decided it was our duty to cover the film that inspired it.
Our job was made all the easier by the fact that "The Dinner Game" is a French comedy classic...
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Reader Comments (12)
Now that you are putting France films on pause. Do some Quebec films :p
Working on it Chauncey! We haven't visited Canada since Pontypool!
Perfect time to check out Gunless with Paul Gross.
AUGH! I'm trying to get a copy of it down here!!! Gross is a BADASS! I was SERIOUSLY considering doing a dummy episode on Slings & Arrows as a "TV You May Have Missed" feature...
"TV You May Have Missed", haha, I was wondering when you'd be planning on expanding the franchise.
LOL! Prolly wont happen any time soon...
Wow, didn't know "Dinner for Schmucks" was a remake (sort of). Can't wait to see the original.
As to Jacques Villeret: the second I saw him, I knew he played the alien in the ridiculous Louis de Funès movie "La Soupe aux choux".
Very strange movie, but once you've seen this video, you'll know why it was burned into my brain (and maybe yours, too?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kplsfDAXm8A&feature=related
LOL!
Wow Michael... That looks rad... Gonna have to find a copy of that!
Having had seen both this film and "Dinner for Schmucks", I feel like it's honestly a decent adaptation. It modernizes (as much as you can for a 10 year old film, anyway) and Americanizes it, certainly, but a lot of themes and jokes are maintained. He has the bad back, the "dumb" character makes weird things (taxidermy mice, in this case), etc. But the links between the characters is pretty obvious. The tax auditor, the Meneaux character (he's played up more in the American version), and a few others had some obvious links. And the opening was very reminiscent of the original, as well, setting up the "dumb" character's sympathetic - if strange - nature.
Hey Ophiucha,
Good to know! I guess my biggest gripe with the synopsis posted of Schmucks was the "sanitizing" of the Rudd character. It's a little frustrating that Rudd's character just can't be a jerk, he's got to be a misunderstood nice guy just going along with the game because he's forced to. Bothers me because it seems like a studio decision to make Rudd more likeable for Americans (like we couldn't handle it if he was mean), and the fact that I KNOW Rudd can play an excellent jerk. He had some REALLY fun moments in "Role Models"...
Hi guys!
Right on with "Dîner de cons"! It's a French comedy classic! Huge success in France, got César (French Academy Awards) for best adaptation (from the play), best actor (Villeret, the "con") and supporting actor. More than 10 years old and we still buy it on DVD and re-watch it! The movie is adapted from the play, originally written by the director himself, and played from 1993 to 1996. The character of the "con" was already played by Villeret on stage. Most actors in this movie are known in France for their stage performances (for most of them starting from the 70s).
The general character of François Pignon (and sometimes François Perrin) is as you mentioned, used in many movies written by Francis Veber, the director. You got it totally right, the character's played by different actors and is not "one person" but a general idea of a type of person (different lives, jobs, age, etc.).
As Michael mentioned, you might remember Villeret (the "con") from "La Soupe aux choux", 1981 classic in France. He played the alien, making weird sounds and falling in love with "la soupe aux choux" (cabbage soup).
Love watching your shows! You rock!
Cheers!
Thanks Cyril! Much appreciated, and those are some great references to follow up on. The character is fantastically successful as an archetype. I can't think of any other cinematic character to be portrayed by multiple actors that worked as successfully...