Le Dîner de cons

A brilliant old-style conversation film. No great action, just an excellent script, analyzing the very essence of human stupidity in the story of several individuals; the fantastic Jacque Villeret, whose Pignon is an ode to stupidity and at the same time living proof that a good heart can doze under an unusually stupid skin (the catharsis of his character is played out as one great symphony – how "little" is sometimes needed to give the film another dimension), and the other ensembles testify to the fact that the French school of intelligent comedy has not yet completely cooled off. If you have good actors and a strong script (isn't The Dinner Game originally a play?), a brilliant comedy basically fits into one exterior and no one even think it's in any way crazy... Well, Francis Veber is simply a witness who doesn't forget the craft... (29/01/2004)

An arrogant intellectual, a benevolent idiot, one dinner, and an incredible amount of intelligent conversational entertainment that won't let up for a second. This is partly due to the perfect cast, the perfect duration, and, above all, the brilliant comedic timing of the French comic mainstay, Francis Veber. P.S.: And needless to say, Vladimir Cosma has an unbeatable talent for simple and catchy theme songs, right? (10/07/2007)

Pignon is the name that screenwriter and director Francis Veber bestows upon his film protagonists on a whim, or perhaps for another reason with remarkable regularity. It is not a case of the same character, nor is it portrayed by a specific actor. What they have in common is perhaps a certain plebeian nature and humanity; they are not people at the top of the food chain. Pignon from the film The Dinner Game is one of those characters that one must be wary of. He is not a bad person and, in terms of intelligence quotient, he is not stupid either. However, he lacks what is known as social intelligence, social tact, and sensitivity. It cannot be said that he thinks slowly; rather, it is more accurate to say that he speaks too quickly and words precede thoughts with an iron regularity, going their own separate ways. When Pignon encounters a confident businessman played by Thierry Lhermitte, he quickly realizes that he has found an ideal victim who is capable of embarrassingly and entertainingly amusing the guests invited to the party. However, intentions change and circumstances unfold… Watching The Dinner Game, albeit after many years, has made me take away one star, but it still has its charm, and the entertainment value remains reliable. Overall impression: 75%. (19/07/2017)

So, I finally got to see The Dinner Game... Folks, this is a sensation! A truly incredible comedy that - although full of jerks - is also incredibly intelligent. Veber not only wrote an excellent script set practically in one apartment, but also filmed it unbeatably, bringing me to tears several times. Tears of laughter. The Dinner Game is simply a small but at the same time tremendous film - one of the funniest experiences of recent times. Should I watch the US remake? All I know of it so far is the (good) soundtrack and I wonder if things should stay that way. They should. (09/04/2011)

If you want to know how a complete moron with zero IQ can be the centre of attention for 80 minutes without giving the audience goosebumps and embarrassing them even for a brief moment, ask the genius Veber. The pinnacle of his work may be a little further down the road, with the idiots from Montargis, but even The Dinner Game is such a spicy, memorable and smart spectacle in terms of acting and story that, despite the simple premise and at times rather dubious behaviour of some of the characters, it’s impossible to object. And Francois Pignon is always excellent :-) 80% (26/09/2013)

Un démarrage lent pour un final sympa, mais je ne considère pas Le Dîner de cons comme un joyau de la comédie française. Francis Veber me laisse légèrement perplexe. (04/01/2010)

French comedy isn't necessarily my favorite genre, but I must admit that in this case, I enjoyed how the entire film was played out, thanks to the chosen actors, but I also enjoyed it because of the clever screenplay, which isn't silly and manages to draw you in. Simple at first glance, extremely entertaining at second. (13/07/2017)