Le père Noël est une ordure

I have seen this movie yesterday for the Xth times. After all these views, I still cannot get tired of it. Yesterday, I was wondering when this movie was actually happening. It is actually dated of 1982. 21 years ago. And after all this time every single piece of humour you see or hear is stil funny.

Ok, the sets are a bit old fashioned but stil represents the type of low-end apartment you could find in Paris and that would be hired by an non-profit association like SOS Detresse amitie.

I don't know what makes this movie so present and why it is impossible not to find it funny after all this time. I think it is the ability to make laugh by taking the opposite of the common sense.

Another interesting point is that the Pere Noel has been adapted from a theatre play written and played by the same actors as in the film. And the movie doesn't look like a filmed play as it often is. There's been a great job in the adaptation of the text as well as the story (because there are some important differences)

I am afraid I will see this movie every year and always laugh with it.

This is one of these films in your country that for some reason, somehow, has transformed into a national treasure. People will immediately dislike you and frown at you when you recall how you don't think it's a good film. They'll immediately think there's something wrong with you, when really the film isn't even that defensible, it's not like the film is amazing on any level or anything, it's just a crowd favorite. Objectively, this comedy is well enough constructed in that it allows for wacky scenarios to take place and go berserk from there, all sorts of strange happenings in subplots that eventually connect. The gags are those of a prude society of the time (early 80's) liberating itself with silly, stuck-up eruptions of vulgarity whether verbally or through act. It isn't really funny, most of the comedy here being cheap sex-oriented, taboo type humor. It's barely entertaining at all to watch now, moving back from it in the later decades, but at one point this was the absolute blast of absolute blasts, and it's hard to even imagine this is the same Jean-Marie Poiré who, a decade later, would go on to write the mythical, legendary "Les Visiteurs", for this reviewer, the single greatest french film of all-time.

This is the kind of movie you don't mind watching over and over again because its script is so rich, so full of wonderful dialogue and genuinely funny situations, that one view isn't enough to absorb everything. Ultimately, this is a film about the spirit of Christmas in the modern times. We live stressed and frantic lives, so why would Christmas Eve be different form a regular day? That's sort of the premise of this movie.

LE PÈRE NOEL EST UNE ORDURE is a black comedy, a very dark one, full of odd characters and bizarre situations. Themes like homosexuality, suicide and murder aren't left behind and spice up this crazy, passionate, comedy set on Christmas Eve.

The performances are plain terrific, with no exception. The characters are wonderfully defined and the dialogue is delicious. It's impossible not to laugh. a lot! After a relatively calm beginning, the wacky situations start to pile up in a frenzy rhythm. Being a huge fan of black comedies myself, I prefer a more subtle approach to the themes. The humor here is sometimes histrionic, theatrical and over-the-top. That can be easily accepted because the movie is adapted from a stage play and, in the end, it works in perfection.

I must have seen this film about 100 times : Le Père Noël... is probably the most famous french comedy ever done, at least in France, far, far more famous and cult than the recent "Le diner De cons" (which is not cult at all, plain funny and that's it). Le Père Noël wasn't a real hit when it got released (it was in fact the movie version of the same-titled play), but it gradually became THE reference in cult comedy amongst french teenagers. I don't even see what the equivalent could be in the States. Anyway : each and every line of this film is sheer fun delight, total trashy-meets-uptight-meets gory-meets-nonsensical humor. Obviously untranslatable and mainly based upon the very subtle depiction of each character, most of the specific expressions of the film are now part of everyday language. It's not even a must-see for every french movie-goer since everyone has seen it at least once in his life. For those who don't cringe at french humor (nothing scatological here), this is an absolute topper in fun. Highly recommended.

Everyone in France knows this movie by heart. Sure, most jokes must be very hard to translate, and may seem very rude (Je t'encule, Thèrèse !), but there is quite a solid story, the acting is excellent and Jean Marie Poiré is at his best. Even Michel Blanc who is not appearing in the movie ( only a voice on phone) is good. The dreaded Anemone is really fun (once in her life) and for Josiane Balasko it is her very best movie ( except maybe for "les hommes préfèrent les grosses"). Not to mention the wonderful Bruno Moynot and Martin Lamotte. Too bad we don't see them more often on the screen. Too bad, too, France will never more produce such jewel, but annoying Asterix, and other visitors. Looks like Christian Clavier by itself is no fun and Alain Chabat is not very good ( I never liked him, nor "les nuls". Le père Noël may be qualified minimalist, or cheap production, but it is THE french movie of the 20th century. I gave it a 10, and I'm going to watch it one more time ( maybe the 200th time)