Le dîner de cons Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Le dîner de cons Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 20, 2009

Exceptionally well scripted and terrifically acted, Francis Veber's award-winning comedy "Le dîner de cons" a.k.a. "The Dinner Game" (1998) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributor Gaumont. This is a Region-Free and English-friendly release.

The idiot

Wealthy Parisian publisher Pierre Brochant (Thierry Lhermitte, Last Summer in Tangiers) and his friends have an interesting hobby -- every week they give a dinner where each of them brings the dullest and most idiotic person they could find. Then, they ridicule their guests.

One day, Pierre meets Francois Pignon (Jacques Villeret, The Professional Secrets of Dr. Apfelgluck), a chubby accountant with a passion for matchstick models, who looks like the perfect dinner guest. Pierre invites Francois to his home, but before they join his friends, he seriously damages his back. Francois offers to stay with Pierre and help him get better. What follows up is a series of ridiculously funny scenes.

The Dinner Game earned the late Jacques Villeret a Cesar for Best Actor in 1998. Yet, the film did not earn the respect of those North American critics who saw it when it was first screened at the Toronto Film Festival. In fact, there was hardly any buzz surrounding it, and it actually took another year before The Dinner Game made it across the border into the United States.

Interestingly enough, Hollywood has been working on a remake of The Dinner Game, titled Dinner for Schmucks and currently slated for release in 2011, that I must assume will effectively eliminate everything that makes it worth watching -- the subtle jabs at classism, the dismissal of pseudo-intellectualism, etc. It is probably a safe bet to assume that the impressive discriminatory tone Lhermitte’s character employs won’t be replicated either.

Veber was also one of the main contributors behind Birds of a Feather (1978), another sardonic comedy that became a major hit in France. He also contributed to its American remake -- The Birdcage (1996) starring Robin Williams -- which ended up securing an Oscar nomination for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Bo Welch and Cheryl Carasik).

However, while in Birds of a Feather Veber was focused on dismissing cultural conservatism, in The Dinner Game he goes the opposite way and attacks faux-intellectual liberalism. Unsurprisingly, by the time the end credits roll, we see Lhermitte’s character as the bigger idiot.

Still, The Dinner Game is not a dry, devoid of color film. On the contrary, its narrative is strikingly loose -- the final scene in particular is an absolute gem -- and main characters admirably unpretentious. It is even complemented by an unusually elegant soundtrack courtesy of award-winning composer Vladimir Cosma (Ettore Scola’s Le Bal).

For what it's worth, the quality of the production is such that the film could have been just as effective as an elaborate theater play. Luciano Tovoli’s (Marco Ferreri’s Bye Bye Monkey) camera is primarily focused on the main characters’ faces, which are one of the most surprising treats in this film. (You will understand what I mean when you see Villeret’s hilarious facial expressions).

Le dîner de cons Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Francis Veber's The Dinner Game arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Gaumont.

The transfer for this ten-year old film is good but reveals some limitations as well. Generally speaking, contrast is good, clarity and detail acceptable and edge-enhancement not a serious issue of concern (though, the more sensitive amongst you are likely to detect its presence). The color scheme does not impress, but it does not disappoint either; occasionally, blacks appear a bit flat and whites tend to be rather inconsistent. Also, I noticed a bit of light digital noise popping up here and there, so folks with large screens will likely spot as well. However, the transfer is healthy -- there are no scratches, debris, or specks that I was able to detect. (Note Even though this Blu-ray disc is marketed as Region-B, it is in fact Region-Free. Therefore, you will be able to view it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Le dîner de cons Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. As it has been the case with every other Gaumont release that I've had the opportunity to review, The Dinner Game impresses with a solid audio treatment. Yes, this is mostly a dialog-driven film with only a few scenes where Vladimir Cosma's soundtrack comes alive, but the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track enhances it in a most convincing fashion. On the other hand, the dialog is crisp and exceptionally easy to follow, the high-frequencies not boosted and the bass satisfying. This being said, there are no cracks, pops, or hissings that I could hear. For the record, Gaumont have provided optional French and English subtitles (when turned on, they appear inside the image frame).

Le dîner de cons Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

In addition to a commentary by Francis Weber (not English-friendly), on this Blu-ray disc you will find the following extras:

Supreme de cons au Rideau rouge - Weber and Irina Tarassov-Villeret, Jacques Villeret, Pierre Mondy, and Claude Brasseur among others recall how the film came to exist, the shooting process, the promotional campaign, etc (in standard-def PAL, not English-friendly).

Mignardises de cons au parallele onctueux - Francis Veber talks about his script (in standard-def PAL, not English-friendly).

Fricassee de cons sur celluloid etincelant - Francis Veber, Philippe Desmoulins (production director at Gaumont), Francois Menidrey and selected actors recall the casting process (in standard-def PAL, not English-friendly).

Salade d'erreurs a la con sauce piquant - Francis Veber talks about the film's cinematography (in standard-def PAL, not English-friendly).

Charlotte au questionnaire a la con sur coulis de stars - Cast and crew members are asked specific questions pertaining to the film's agenda, execution, etc (in standard-def PAL, not English-friendly).

Farandole musicale a l'ambiance garantie - one last chance to hear Francois Pignon's notorious phone message (in standard-def PAL, not English-friendly).

Le dîner de cons Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is a great little film that more than likely will never see a Blu-ray treatment on this side of the Atlantic. Fortunately enough, Gaumont have put together yet another convincing package that those of you willing to experiment with foreign releases can take advantage of. If you like smart and original comedies, take a look at The Dinner Game; I guarantee you won't be disappointed. Recommended.