14 great French comedies of the XXI century that you might have missed

In this list there is no "Amelie", "1 + 1" or "Bobro to laugh!— - it is quite possible that you have already seen these films. Ten times. But in this list you will find the movie that was released in our century and which for one reason or another could slip past you.

Not all of these comedies are hilarious to the point of breaking your stomach — it's still French cinema. So sometimes humor can be delicate and carefully hidden from the eyes of a rude, uncouth viewer.

Be warned: almost all paintings contain scenes of smoking and hints of sex between a man and a woman. We are powerless to protect you from this.

Director: Francis Weber Starring: Daniel Autoy, Gerard Depardieu, Thierry Lermitt 

A story with a canonical French twist: an accountant of a condom factory is fired, which forces him to commit suicide. Fortunately, the film does not end there, but only begins. Instead of suicide, the accountant is waiting for a meeting with a friend who comes up with an extremely extravagant method of solving the problem. Francis Weber himself, the director of "Toys" and "Unlucky" with Richard, shot this amusing miracle.

Director: Laurent Tirard Starring: Maxime Godard, Vincent Claude, Charles Wellen 

An extremely positive, energetic film based on the books of Rene Gosinni (among other things, he is also the father of Asterix and Obelix). In fact, this is the French equivalent of our folk "Welcome, or No Trespassing" - about boys who are always restless and who get into funny stories and get out of them just as funny.

Director: Laurent Tirard Starring: Jean Dujardin, Melanie Laurent 

Another picture by Laurent Tirard, however, is not about children, but about adults who are naughty and mischievous no worse than kids. This is a costume romantic comedy about the times of the Napoleonic Wars, where a beauty and a brave hussar meet in the rear (well, or who was there in France instead of hussars?). As a result, both of them turn out to be scoundrels and the whole film is busy overcoming each other.

Director: Francis Weber Starring: Gerard Depardieu, Jean Renault 

Our translators committed a crime against the brain, calling this comedy by Weber "Unlucky" - just like his 1981 film, also with Depardieu. It is impossible to understand their logic, especially since in fact the new movie is called "Shut Up!" translated from French. Here is a cute crime comedy in which the characters Depardieu and Renaud escape from prison and rush to their buried treasures. This pair of actors will pull out any movie, and this one didn't even need to be pulled out!

Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet Starring: Dani Boone, Andre Dussollier, Yolande Moreau, Dominique Pinon 

After "Amelie" and "The Long Engagement", everyone somehow abruptly forgot about Jean-Pierre Jeunet, but he continues to work, his hand is strong and still shoots sincere and inventive French cinema. Losers is a witty satire in which Parisian bums declare war on arms magnates. The plot is strange, of course, almost schizoid, as always with Genet, but internally harmonious. And it was shot brand-beautifully.

Director: Samuel Benshetri Starring: Isabelle Huppert, Gustave Kervern, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, Michael Pitt 

A deeply melancholic movie, an ironic look at an ordinary Frenchman in uncomfortable situations (the closest analogue, probably, is "Translation Difficulties" or old films by George Danelia). "Asphalt" is a collection of stories. In one of them, a tight-fisted neighbor refused to take the elevator, saying that it would be fine to walk. Soon karma befell him: his legs failed after he fell asleep on an exercise bike. In another story, an old lady originally from Algeria receives an uninvited guest - an American astronaut. And so on…

Director: Samuel Benshetri Starring: Anna Muglalis, Eduard Baer, Jean Rochefort 

Another picture from the author of "Asphalt", this time - a criminal, and therefore a little more cheerful comedy. There are many wonderful stories here. The funniest one is connected with the kidnapping of a Gothic girl for ransom, during which it turns out that the hostage does not care what happens to her: she's been dreaming of dying for a long time.

Directors: Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon, Bruno Romy Starring: Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon, Philippe Martz, Bruno Romy 

A short, little-known and at the same time brilliant movie, reminiscent at the same time of the films of Jacques Tati and Aki Kaurismaki. A couple of extravagant schoolteachers in love devotes themselves to cheerful Cuban dances after lessons. It would have gone on like this for probably two hundred years if they hadn't been in a car accident, after which all the misfortunes of the world fell on them. And yet there are some people whom we would call unluckily impenetrable!

Directors: Alain Berberian, Frederic Forestier Starring: Gerard Lanvin, Benoit Pulvord, Jose Garcia 

A very traditional French adventure comedy about a seasoned bandit who, while in prison, wins $ 15 million in a lottery. Now he has to somehow escape from custody and get to Africa to get the ill-fated jackpot.

Director: Pierre Salvadori Starring: Audrey Totu, Gad Elmaleh, Marie-Christine Adam

Hardcore romcom, and even with Audrey Totu and Gad Elmaleh to boot. Audrey got the role of an adventurer who seduces wealthy guys, men and daddies solely for profit. At some point, a poor (but cute!) hotel employee gets under her feet, whom she takes for a rich man. The rest is not difficult to imagine, but it's easier to see — it will be fun and sunny.

Director: James Ute Starring: Sophie Marceau, Gad Elmaleh, Maurice Barthelemy 

Another romcom with Elmaleh, only this time he got Sophie Marceau as a couple. She is already a mature mom here with a large family, but still with gunpowder in powder flasks and an awl in ... a very beautiful place. For boys, the movie is too glossy and sugary, but for romantic female natures - the very thing.

Director: Jerome Enrico Starring: Bernadette Lafon, Carmen Maura, Dominique Lavanan 

The plot will make you scratch your turnip in perplexity. At the center of the story is an old lady, but not a God's dandelion, but a typical old pest. At some point she finds herself stranded, and then she comes up with the idea to do ... drug business! As a result, the viewer receives not so much "Breaking Bad" for people of retirement age, as a social pamphlet on current French topics.

Director: Philippe de Chauvron Starring: Christian Clavier, Chantal Loby, Eri Abittan, Medi Sadun, Frederic Shaw 

A lush, lively comedy about how the father of a respectable and non-poor family marries four daughters in turn. And, of course, everything results in some kind of devilry, because the girls have picked up exclusively exotic nationalities for themselves. It turned out to be a very successful quintessence of wedding and racial jokes. It's hard to think of a reason not to watch it, except that the audience is allergic to weddings (a common thing, by the way).

Director: Gabriel Agion Starring: Josiane Balasco, Natalie Bai, Marie Gillen 

The film is a terry representative of the genre of French eccentric comedy. We are shown the life of two aging party girls, whose brains are still as askew at the end of their years as in their youth. A kind of triumph of cheerful freaks in the XXI century. The effect of such a movie is always directly dependent on those who are not afraid to play the main characters. So, with this here is a complete order!