The Dinner Game (Le Dîner de cons) (1998)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Anthony L

  
  Le Dîner de Cons is clever, well written and mildly amusing but not hilarious. The script is very sharp and the delivery is brilliant when it comes to the late great Jacques Villeret and Daniel Prévost but ultimately the whole film is let down by the bland performances and awkward… More
  Le Dîner de Cons is clever, well written and mildly amusing but not hilarious. The script is very sharp and the delivery is brilliant when it comes to the late great Jacques Villeret and Daniel Prévost but ultimately the whole film is let down by the bland performances and awkward attempts at humour from both Thierry Lhermitte and Francis Huster . Good but not great.

• Luke B

  
  Wonderfully simple, but emotionally engaging comedy. The film takes its audience on a wonderful journey as we start feeling very sorry for Villeret. The film is very cruel towards him at first. He's just a sweet, naive man looking for some acceptance. He soon turns into the guest… More
  Wonderfully simple, but emotionally engaging comedy. The film takes its audience on a wonderful journey as we start feeling very sorry for Villeret. The film is very cruel towards him at first. He's just a sweet, naive man looking for some acceptance. He soon turns into the guest from hell, as his lack of intelligence does turn into annoyance. Finally, his acts bring justice upon those that would make fun of him. It's a feel good comedy, that gradually builds an unexpected friendship. It's also nice to see the characters in on the joke as well. Too often comedies have their own characters ignore the hilarity around them. The dialogue is quick and witty and the film does what it can in its space and time. About to be remade with Paull Rudd and Steve Carrell, the trailer for that promises to expand on the events, but will the heart and humor remain intact? This is a mini French gem.

• Mark H

  
  Minor French farce is a mistitled little ditty about a about a competition amongst a group of businessmen to see who can find the stupidest person to bring to dinner. The problem is that they never attend said dinner party, which undoubtedly would have been ripe for comedy. Instead… More
  Minor French farce is a mistitled little ditty about a about a competition amongst a group of businessmen to see who can find the stupidest person to bring to dinner. The problem is that they never attend said dinner party, which undoubtedly would have been ripe for comedy. Instead the "dinner game" is more of an excuse to bring two unlikely acquaintances together in the same room for 78 minutes. Of course nothing goes right in this comedy of errors. Actor Jacques Villeret is amusing as François Pignon, the nincompoop in question. His nuanced acting brings out a personality that is more sweet and sensitive than idiotic. That's unexpected. Given the setting of the film, however, perhaps a more appropriate title would have been, <I>The Time I Injured My Back and Had to Spend the Day at Home With an Idiot</I>, but that doesn't quite have the same ring now does it?

• El Hombre I

  
  The Dinner Game plays out with all the spontaneity of a Seinfeld episode and would be even more popular if people will get over reading subtitles. A very clever comedy that was a successful play before it became a film, as it shows, and is a great one for low-budget filmmakers to… More
  The Dinner Game plays out with all the spontaneity of a Seinfeld episode and would be even more popular if people will get over reading subtitles. A very clever comedy that was a successful play before it became a film, as it shows, and is a great one for low-budget filmmakers to examine. Great fun. <a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view¤t=Thedinnergame.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/Thedinnergame.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

• Lanning :

  
  Yes, it's true, someone thought this a very clever script. Mon dieu! You hear about these kinds of people, those who think so highly of themselves that they feel free to judge the "idiots" of the world, or, as Francis Huster, the least talent-laden actor here… More
  Yes, it's true, someone thought this a very clever script. Mon dieu! You hear about these kinds of people, those who think so highly of themselves that they feel free to judge the "idiots" of the world, or, as Francis Huster, the least talent-laden actor here mentions, those wonderful people who invite "ugly" men/women to parties in the hopes of winning recognition for bringing the "ugliest," but you never want to meet people like this, have them as friends, or associate with them in any other conceivable way. So, being careful to avoid these people in real life, the last thing you'd want is to be forced to watch them in action in a movie. If there's anything funny about this -- <p>Well, I take that back. I kind of smiled at one point. Let's see, the biggest asshole in the movie, who is also cheating on his income tax, has his undeclared fortune in paintings and sculpture discovered by a tax inspector. The inspector vows to audit him. I did kind of chuckle at that. Just desserts and all. <p> All in all, however, like the bad play script in must be when staged, a dreadful piece of merde.

• Daniel P

  
  A very well plotted movie, with a ridiculous series of unfortunate events. Absolutely hilarious, very well acted, and fun for the whole family. A comedy classic in any language.

• Lesley N

  
  One of those plays turned into a film when you can tell its a play really. Entertaining enough if you like farces, misunderstandings, mistaken identities, misguided helpfulness and all the rest of it. Sadly I don;t, but if you do, then yeah, go for it.

• John M

  
  A wonderfully engaging, likable and hilarious comedy!!!

• Linda K

  
  Simply hilarious!

• Marion R

  
  I thought it had it's moments. I liked it. If you want a laugh, rent this!

• Quinto W

  
  I didn't really find the movie that funny, but over time it's proven to be at least an entertaining way to kill some time on slow afternoons.

• Janice :

  
  To me, this is the most hilarious movie ever. But then again, I don't enjoy that many comedy movies (the majority bore me). The reason is because it is a witty film filled with numerous puns that add to the richness of the humour. I read the storyline and I have to admit that… More
  To me, this is the most hilarious movie ever. But then again, I don't enjoy that many comedy movies (the majority bore me). The reason is because it is a witty film filled with numerous puns that add to the richness of the humour. I read the storyline and I have to admit that this sounds quite dull. Well hello narrow-minded people! Whoever said a few lines could account for a whole film? There isn't much depth to it (hello, this is a comedy!) but honestly, it's so funny you'll die of laughter. I swear I was crying all through it. Watch if you liked Dick and Jane, RV or some Louis de Funès stuff (him again :D).

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