Bienvenue Chez Les Ch'Tis

Our experience with French films has been one of extremes. French sensibilities do not always align with American, with the result that we either love them or hate them. This mismatch sometimes extends to the decision making on what movies should be released here or not. This movie suffered from this miscalculation. It is our understanding that Bienvenue Chez Les Ch'tis was one of the biggest hits in recent years in France. Yet, the decision was made not to release this film in the U.S., not even on DVD. You will not find this movie on cable or on Netflix. What a shame! We had to track the film down on Amazon to buy a copy released in Quebec. Our copy is now making its way through friends and family for them to enjoy.Danny Boon has created a sweet, comic fish out of water story in which a post office manager is transferred, against his will, to the far north of France. This is the french version of the boonies, the Appalachians or the deep south. Much to his surprise he discovers that it is not what everyone assumes it to be. Yet to maintain his credibility with his family and friends back home he must maintain the fiction of a man suffering when he visits them. There is much humor in both places and in watching him go to greater extremes to maintain the lie as the story progresses.The odds are the only way you will see this film is to buy the DVD. The cost is less than what you will waste taking someone to most movies. My advice is to spring for the film, make some popcorn and curl up with family or friends and enjoy.

I do not speak French but am becoming a fan of Dany Boon and have purchased more movies he has starred in and/or directed. This movie is hilarious and extremely well written with great acting. Even though I read the subtitles I had the volume turned up.The movie is about Philippe (Kad Merad) who is as a manager in a post office and his difficult wife pressures him constantly to get a transfer down south to the French Rivera which he tries but it is impossible for him as they give those positions to handicapped people. After unsuccessfully trying to get a transfer he pretends he is handicapped but is caught out. As punishment Philippe is transferred to Bergues, the very top of the north, for two years - to the "sticks". Everyone thinks the north is always extremely cold and raining, and the people are unsophisticated and speak their own language. He leaves his wife and son behind as he does not think they would survive living in the north after hearing all the stories and goes alone returning every second weekend.When Philippe drives to the north he is miserable believing all he has heard. Dany Boon plays Antoine, a postal delivery man, working under Philipe. The chemistry between them is fantastic along with the other actors and the humour is great. It just gets better and better from here. A real delightful film!!!

A mid-level manager goofs at work, and is sent to the boonies as, perhaps, punishment. There he meets the locals, who he thinks are complete idiots and bores. That is, until he slowly gets to know them. His woman back home in the city grows cold on his visits back home, as he grows warmer and warmer feelings for his new co-workers. He thrives. The story lets our admiration and enjoyment thrive along with him.This was a huge international hit, and shows us how other people live, learn, and love. Innocent, sexy at times, endearing at times, always with a keen insight into this character and those "small town but not small" people.

This movie was a lot of fun. I'll have to say that some of the humor would have been a little hard to translate, but the translation was admirable, and captured the wordplay in the movie very well. Even though it has a lot to do with French cultural references and bias, that was not a deterrent to someone from another country "getting it". The acting was superb, and the slapstick humor was well balanced by a universal human-experience theme - that of being thrust into an unknown place with grave misgivings about the outcome, and finding that there can be joy in all kinds of circumstances.

A great comedy, truly funny because of great actors. It also makes francophiles understand why it is not always easy to get what all French people are saying if they come from an area where the dialect is different from the one taught in the Parisian area.Some people from Canada speak French with such twist. It makes us revisit History and learn about people's origins before their countries became unified like in France which is so culturally rich because of the diversity of its multiple regions. This movie got lots of awards and caused renewed appreciation for the Northern part of France in need of touristic help. The humor is truly universal in this movie and the whole family will have a great time watching it!

This was a gift and enjoyed by all who watched. The story is indeed funny. The relationship of the wife, husband and family life is unifying and amazingly solid in a humorous way. The humor is about France culture: the north versus the south and, of course, about family and friends.The one aspect I did not expect was that in the North the French accent is quite different. For one that is just learning French, this accent, exaggerated, makes it more difficult to pick up. The objective in buying this movie was to practice listening to French. The movie was so funny that we did not even care if the listening aspect was a bit difficult.

This is laugh out loud funny. Rented it then went ahead and bought it. Not just funny but warm hearted and lovely. Enjoyed all the characters and how they bonded with each other.I don't think you have to be from France to love this movie or to 'get' the funny stereotypes the southerners have against the northerners.Just a very delightful movie to watch with the family if they don't mind sub titles. Our favorite part was when the wife came and husband and friends tried to fool her.Buy it or at least rent it. I think you'll love it too!

This is a brilliant French comedy with subtitles. The humour around the northern French accent was even successfully relayed into the English subtitles. Action packed and fast moving unlike the stereotype the French film industry seems to have.

Danny Boon at his best. Very funny and good parody of French ‘northerners’. Subtitles as some of the dialogue is impenetrable unless your French is v good. A great film to watch when learning the language.

I didn't find this film funny. The joke throughout the film is about the different accent in the north of france as heard by someone from the south. I am not fluent in french and subtitles cannot convey this in a way which is funny. Also, unusually for a french film I found it a bit sickly sweet. For instance I adored le diner de cons and thought it one of the funniest films I have ever seen. Reading the other reviews of this film I had hoped I might have a similar experience. Sadly, not for me.

It's a v pleasant film.But some of the reviews are way over the top.Several times we laughed out loud,but not the shaking belly experience some would have you believe.I can Imagine that in France it would carry more weight because of their cultural views bout the north.It's a gentle and jolly romp with predictable outcome.6/10 for me

Optimist movie.How a Postmaster gets transferred as punishment andhow the new villagers teach him hilarity. No stick-in-the-mud's! How to live a life! Lovely characters, charming ladies.Better and more positive than a charliechaplin filmI love it a lot. Frenchy, chic and down to earth