The domino effect gets the full farcical treatment with Francis Veber's "The Dinner Game." Having nothing to do with the fear of communism's spread or even the influence of a popular delivery pizza on your waistline, this French film -- obviously based on Veber's original stage play, "Le Diner De Cons" -- is instead a comedy of errors. With just one lapse of better judgement toppling the first domino, the fun of the film lies with seeing how and where the adjacent game pieces will fall.
Like many of writer/director Veber's other French films that have been remade into American pictures -- including "The Birdcage," "Quick Change" and "Father's Day" to name a few -- there's already talk that this 1998 film has been earmarked for a similar Hollywood makeover.
One can easily see why Veber has become a content source for American movies. Although this film and his others are rarely or never outrageously hilarious, they are constantly amusing throughout and contain universal themes and plots that can easily be adapted to whatever society or culture wishes to retell them. While you probably won't "bust a gut" from hearty laughter while watching Veber's films, they should keep most viewers smiling from start to finish.
Of course for this film, some of that will depend on one's tolerance for the comic buffoon/foil role. Much like Rowan Atkinson's "Bean" character, the part of Francois is that of a well-intentioned but ultimately bungling character, and the humor originates from the mistakes he makes along with their unintended consequences.
As such, while Jacques Villeret's performance isn't of the same irritating caliber as Atkinson's -- or that of Jim Carrey or Jeff Daniels in "Dumb and Dumber" (although all would have been fun guests at such a dinner) -- it's still the type of role and related behavior that some people simply cannot stand.
Others, however, will probably enjoy French actor Villeret ("Cat and Mouse," "Robert and Robert") and his decidedly more human -- and vulnerable -- take on his character. At times his character's overeagerness gives him the qualities for which his callous host is obviously salivating, but just when you're ready to write him off as exactly that sort of caricature, Villeret brings some depth and true emotion to him.
Even so, for all of the occasional sad-eyed vulnerability that immediately endears him to the audience, Villeret -- just like an excitable puppy -- switches right back into the overbearing and overeager character. That split personality effect works quite well and obviously gives Villeret the best character the film has to offer.
As the soulless "villain," Thierry Lhermitte ("An Indian in the City," "Les Bronzés"), also delivers a good performance, although neither he nor his hidden plan is as malicious as say, Aaron Eckhart's character and his "game" in Neil LaBute's "In the Company of Men." Nonetheless, the character and his unsavory plan are present simply to be overturned by his comic foil and Lhermitte near perfectly plays the part.
For the film to succeed as a farce, the adversarial chemistry between the two leads needs to be played just right and both Lhermitte and Villeret are perfect together with the former obviously playing the irritated "straight man" to the latter. As such, the best scenes come from Francois' attempts to help Pierre via several necessary telephone calls. Whether posing as someone else and/or simply trying to deliver pre-rehearsed lines, Francois obviously always goofs up and thus insures that the comedic dominos keep tumbling.
That praise aside, the proceedings occasionally feel a bit strained and sometimes the humor and its timing aren't executed as well as they should be. The film also suffers a bit from predominantly taking place in just one setting -- Pierre's home -- and is obviously a byproduct of the story beginning its life as a stage play.
Other theatrical remnants are also present, including some momentary observational asides -- most from Pierre -- where a character briefly comments about another, but presumably only to the audience. Such moments sound artificial here (even for a farce), are somewhat distracting and easily could have been omitted from this cinematic adaption without any problems.
Never hilarious but generally amusing, this French farce is mostly enjoyable and entertaining. While its style of humor may be a bit too reserved for American audiences weaned on domestic, over-the-top comedy that itself is foreign to the more restrained and subtle material that's presented here, fans of farcical humor will probably enjoy the offering. We did, and thus give "The Dinner Game" a 6.5 out of 10.