Os Infiéis

'The Players' is a breezy French comedy, a series of short films (by different directors) on the subject of male infidelity. The shortness of each segment keeps it fresh and lightweight; but there's an underlying theme to all these movies: that (married) men just have to seek our additional partners. The various films make them look ridiculous; but also seem to suggest that infidelity really is just something to laugh about, that it's a simple fact of life and that the aforementioned ridiculousness is its natural, and only proper, punishment. I laughed in places, but it's a movie without any real heart.

Reading the reviews here people seem to think they came to see a sociological essay on infidelity and this is anything but

• What we have here is a comedy a pee-stake a joke and it seems many expect massive depth research this is not what this is about this is making fun of poor behaviour from married men in specifically French society where the values regarding fidelity are really very different from Anglo-Saxon values. So many feel unable to understand what is going on here ... it appears

• This is a collage of vignettes and long pieces and some of them are more successful than others they are also each one of them filmed by a different director which gives them a completely different flavour. One of them done by Jan Kounen was so rude that it was removed from the theatre copy and is only available on video I have seen that one previously and frankly to cut it out it's no big problem ... worth seeing tho

• I watched this 10 years ago about maybe six I cannot remember exactly and could never forget forget this film for me the best cut is the one with Sandrine Kiberlain by far the best cut the unrepentant cheaters in a circle in a sort of AA meeting for the unfaithful with her as the leader and the only female in the room.

• The look of boredom on their faces the lack of desire to be there most are there due to an ultimatum from their wives. It is impossible not to explode with laughter when she faces one of the attendees and asks him in a totally straight face "Tu la veux ma petite chatte ? " You can see the actors found it hard to keep a straight face doing the Scene

None of them return the next day obviously; totally failing to see why they were there in the first place.

It Must be stressed that some of the segments are comedy some of them are dark psychologically and very sad cause they show the emptiness in the men trying to justify to themselves or their friends why it is that they are doing this so in a way the in-depth psycho-sociological is also present here and leaves a really bad aftertaste

Most of the time we are looking at the two main actors Jean Dujardin and Gilles Lellouche showing what incredibly great actors they are I have seen both of them now in comedies and dramas and they can do all of it at a really high level. Sandrine Kiberlain is also an awesome actress and there are a couple of instances where we see Guillaume Canet who at the time was up and coming he then became a huge actor and director. It seems often people do not really understand what they are looking at you can see that from the reviews this is comedy this is a bawdy tale With some in-depth elements but just by the by the main drive here is entertainment and comedy and if that is the only criterium used I would certainly say this was a very successful endeavour; I then find out that Italians made a remake of this in 2020 under the auspices of Netflix and its title is Os Infiéis (2020)

Most reviewers seem to agree it is a pale copy of the French original I will nonetheless give it a whirl see what it is like

This one here though I highly recommend.

I think the only way you wouldn't be able to enjoy this movie is if you have been loyal to your partner for a long time and feel envious of the characters.

This movie takes us to some brilliant scenes with fantastic one liners through out. The movie flows between comedy and drama, and balances the two perfectly. Just when things start to get serious the movie throws you a fantastic joke, I can't remember laughing out loud so much at a movie.

The comedy doesn't drown out the character development and I found myself attracted to the personalities. The are engaging and interesting and you want to know more about them. The psychology of the relationships between characters captures you in the movie. It is quite philosophical in a way but the comedy stops you over thinking.

The body language in the movie is very good, there is one scene with a kid at the table with their kid doing homework. The two characters stare blankly at each other and you just know what they're both thinking, it's beautiful imagery and the cinematography is to a high level throughout.

This film wasn't directed to casually which it could have quite easily been with the plot. There were some intense emotions but it remained extremely funny from start to finish. If you're 40+ and led a boring life this probably isn't for you but otherwise I honestly can't see how you couldn't enjoy this movie. It's easy to watch and the perfect movie if you're looking for a great laugh with friends. The ending is so funny too, the thriller photo made me laugh way past the credits.

I really recommend this movie, don't let the reviews put you off!

The movie made big waves even before it hit the international cinema screens, because someone leaked the fact that a movie poster got held back because it was inappropriate and would have diminished Jean Dujardins chances of winning the Oscar (or was it just a publicity stunt?). The movie itself might be able to live off that controversy at first, but even after a few "shocking" moments at first, it'll have to stand on its own two feet (pun not intended).

Dujardin and his partner (in crime) here show a real passion for that project. They go places you might expect them to go. But even if only Dujardin is on your radar (the other actor being very famous in France too), it is a lack of emotion for both characters and the triviality of the whole thing, that might make you want to stop watching it. The overall idea was nice and I still kind of like it, but it's anything but special ...

I must be exactly the right age and marital status to like this show. I didn't think it would be very good but from the very beginning it grabbed my attention and just wouldn't let go. All characters, young and old, married and single were very bondable (is that a word). I enjoyed from beginning to end. Amazon really scored on this one. Of course, had I been a year older or younger, or a year more married or single I might not have liked it so much. So, I'll just count it as a favorite French film of mine, no matter what anyone else thinks.