A perfectly entertaining little French comedy that doesn't quite lodge in your brain in the way you hope it would.
The Dinner Game(Le Dîner de cons)
✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ Read critic reviews
France · 1998
Rated PG · 1h 20m
Director Francis Veber
Starring Thierry Lhermitte, Jacques Villeret, Francis Huster, Daniel Prévost
Genre Comedy
Add to Watchlist
Please login to add films to your watchlist.
For Pierre and his friends, Wednesday is “Idiots' Day.” The idea is simple: each person has to bring along an idiot. The one who brings the most spectacular idiot wins the prize. Tonight, Pierre has found a gem, the ultimate idiot, “A world champion idiot!” What Pierre doesn’t know is that Pignon is a past master in the art of bringing on catastrophes...
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
ReelViews by James Berardinelli
There are times when the comedy works, but the number of genuinely amusing sequences are outnumbered by those that, in trying to generate laughter, simply seem silly.
Chicago Tribune by John Petrakis
The Dinner Game works thanks to some exceptionally strong acting, impeccable timing and rapid-fire delivery of many funny lines.
Chicago Reader by Lisa Alspector
Shtick isn't all this movie has to offer.
Abetted by an excellent cast, vet writer Weber weaves a simple premise into comedy gold.
TV Guide Magazine by Maitland McDonagh
This stage-bound farce could easily be an American sitcom: It's all slamming doors, eavesdropping and stupid miscommunications, garnished with a heavy-handed helping of comedy of humiliation.
Just a plain old fun movie.
Adapted from a long-running stage play, The Dinner Game has been refined to peak comic efficiency, with every misunderstanding and hare-brained scheme neatly cascading into bigger and bigger catastrophes.
Users who liked this film also liked
Ruby & Quentin
(Tais-toi !)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Italy • 2003
- Director Francis Veber
- Cast Gérard Depardieu, Jean Reno, Richard Berry, André Dussollier, Jean-Pierre Malo, Leonor Varela
- Genre Comedy, Crime
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Welcome to the Sticks
(Bienvenue chez les ch'tis)
After being banished to Northern France, public servant Phillipe struggles to live in the foreign and unfamiliar town of Bergues.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2008
- Director Dany Boon
- Cast Kad Merad, Dany Boon, Zoé Félix, Lorenzo Ausilia-Foret, Anne Marivin, Philippe Duquesne
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, VUDU Free, Kanopy, Hoopla, Plex, Plex Channel
The Cabbage Soup
(La Soupe aux choux)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1981
- Director Jean Girault
- Cast Louis de Funès, Jean Carmet, Jacques Villeret, Claude Gensac, Christine Dejoux, Henri Génès
- Genre Comedy, Science Fiction
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Little Indian, Big City
(Un Indien dans la Ville)
The city is a jungle. Some are just better prepared for it, than others.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1994
- Director Hervé Palud
- Cast Thierry Lhermitte, Patrick Timsit, Ludwig Briand, Miou-Miou, Arielle Dombasle, Sonia Vollereaux
- Genre Adventure, Drama, Family, Comedy
- Available on No streaming locations found.
The Visitors
(Les Visiteurs)
They Weren't Born Yesterday!
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1993
- Director Jean-Marie Poiré
- Cast Jean Reno, Christian Clavier, Valérie Lemercier, Marie-Anne Chazel, Christian Bujeau, Isabelle Nanty
- Genre Fantasy, Comedy
- Available on Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Kanopy
Santa Claus Is a Stinker
(Le Père Noël est une ordure)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1982
- Director Jean-Marie Poiré
- Cast Christian Clavier, Anémone, Marie-Anne Chazel, Thierry Lhermitte, Josiane Balasko, Gérard Jugnot
- Genre Comedy
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Fear City: A Family-Style Comedy
(La Cité de la peur)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1994
- Director Alain Berbérian
- Cast Chantal Lauby, Alain Chabat, Dominique Farrugia, Gérard Darmon, Sam Karmann, Jean-Christophe Bouvet
- Genre Comedy
- Available on Amazon Video, Kanopy
RRRrrrr!!!
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2004
- Director Alain Chabat
- Cast Maurice Barthélemy, Marina Foïs, Elise Larnicol, Pierre-François Martin-Laval, Jean-Paul Rouve, Pascal Vincent
- Genre Comedy
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube
My New Partner II
(Ripoux contre Ripoux)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1990
- Director Claude Zidi
- Cast Thierry Lhermitte, Philippe Noiret, Grace de Capitani, Guy Marchand, Jean-Pierre Castaldi, Line Renaud
- Genre Action, Comedy
- Available on No streaming locations found.
The Sucker
(Le Corniaud)
The funniest fraud a fall-guy ever fell for!
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Italy, Spain • 1965
- Director Gérard Oury
- Cast Bourvil, Louis de Funès, Venantino Venantini, Henri Génès, Lando Buzzanca, Jacques Eyser
- Genre Comedy, Crime
- Available on Kanopy
Fugitives
(Les Fugitifs)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1986
- Director Francis Veber
- Cast Pierre Richard, Gérard Depardieu, Jean Carmet, Maurice Barrier, Jean Benguigui, Roland Blanche
- Genre Comedy, Crime
- Available on No streaming locations found.
French Fried Vacation 2: The Bronzés go Skiing
(Les Bronzés font du ski)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1979
- Director Patrice Leconte
- Cast Thierry Lhermitte, Marie-Anne Chazel, Michel Blanc, Josiane Balasko, Christian Clavier, Gérard Jugnot
- Genre Comedy
- Available on Kanopy
Didier
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Belgium, Switzerland • 1997
- Director Alain Chabat
- Cast Jean-Pierre Bacri, Alain Chabat, Isabelle Gélinas, Lionel Abelanski, Caroline Cellier, Chantal Lauby
- Genre Comedy
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube
Gramps Is in the Resistance
(Papy fait de la résistance)
Le film qui a coûté plus cher que le débarquement!
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1983
- Director Jean-Marie Poiré
- Cast Christian Clavier, Michel Galabru, Gérard Jugnot, Martin Lamotte, Dominique Lavanant, Jacqueline Maillan
- Genre Comedy, War
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Even the Rain
(También la lluvia)
As a director shoots a film about Christopher Columbus in Bolivia, locals rise up against plans to privatize the water supply.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Spain, Mexico, France • 2010
- Director Icíar Bollaín
- Cast Gael García Bernal, Luis Tosar, Raúl Arévalo, Najwa Nimri, Karra Elejalde, Cassandra Ciangherotti
- Genre Drama, History
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
A Crime in Paradise
(Un crime au Paradis)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2001
- Director Jean Becker
- Cast Jacques Villeret, Josiane Balasko, André Dussollier, Suzanne Flon, Gérard Hernandez, Roland Magdane
- Genre Comedy
- Available on No streaming locations found.
What's in a Name
(Le Prénom)
A child is the beginning of happiness. A name is the beginning of despair.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Belgium • 2012
- Director Matthieu Delaporte
- Cast Patrick Bruel, Valérie Benguigui, Charles Berling, Guillaume de Tonquédec, Judith El Zein, Françoise Fabian
- Genre Drama, Comedy
- Available on OVID, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, YouTube, Tubi TV, VUDU Free, Kanopy, Hoopla
Chacun pour tous
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 2018
- Director Vianney Lebasque
- Cast Ahmed Sylla, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Camélia Jordana, Thomas De Pourquery, Olivier Barthélémy, Estéban
- Genre Comedy
- Available on No streaming locations found.