Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis (2008) - film review

Philippe Abrams is the manager of a branch of the French postal service in a town in the South of France.  To cheer his depressive wife, he tries to get a transfer to the Côte d’Azur by pretending to be chronically disabled.  When his scheme is uncovered, he is instead transferred to Bergues, a small town in the north of the country.  To the Abrams, this a fate worse than death.  It is well known to southerners like them that the North is a cold, inhospitable place, populated by uneducated rustics whose accents make them impossible to understand.  Since Julie refuses to accompany him, Philippe goes there alone, and is surprised at what he discovers...

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Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis was a great hit in France, and when you see it you’ll know why.  It has a wonderful sense of humour, where the French (the ones from the south poking fun at the ones from the north, and vice versa) can laugh about themselves. But one doesn’t have to be French to enjoy the film. Though it helps a bit to know that there is a distinct difference between the southern French dialect and the northern dialect (a little bit like, in the UK, the difference between the English spoken in and around London and how they speak in Scotland, or, for Germans – like me - how they speak in Germany itself compared to how Swiss-German sounds like). At the same time it really doesn’t hurt anyone.  It has the loveable French flair and charm that can be so seductive to some of us.  I recommend seeing this film when you are looking for something light-hearted, before going away for or after coming back from a (French) holiday, or simply whenever you need a break from the challenges of everyday life.
Wolfgang Hoffmann (Cambridge, UK. originally from Cologne, Germany)  

J’ai adoré!  Ça m’a fait rire et ça me fait toujours rire!  Au Portugal, où j’habite, 80% des films sont américains et la plupart des gens n’aime pas les films français, surtout les jeunes. Alors c’est vraiment important quand je peux prouver que les films français sont aussi amusants et qu’on passe des moments agréables à les regarder!
Judite Ferreira  (Lisbonne, Portugal)  

I can’t believe that this film is so highly rated but probably mirrors why the likes of Benny Hill and Mr Bean are so popular in France!  There have been some cracking French comedies of late by the likes of Agnès Jaoui or the brilliant Bond pastiches of the two OSS 117 series.  This, however, is a stinker.  The humour is more akin to Cannon and Ball - it is that bad.  I’m not surprised than Dany Boon has generally bombed in the UK as this is just the kind of stuff that the rejuvenated comics of the 1980s swept away.  This is a real throwback and almost an embarrassment.  A degree in French would also be of benefit to appreciate the jokes about the Ch’tis accent, but other than the comment about Stevie Wonder I felt that this is the kind of comedy even your Grandma would find lame!
Ian Thumwood  (Winchester,  UK)  

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