Dany Boon Movies

I don't know to what extent Dany Boon is considered an established comedian in his country, or whether he is still up-and-coming or not really acknowledged at all. However, I must admit that the three movies of his that I have seen so far have pleasantly surprised me. Certainly, they might not claim laurels of high quality, but for what they are—family comedies meant to provide a pleasant time—they achieve their purpose and more, while also conveying useful messages (similar to Adam Sandler's comedies, which combine humor with a moral lesson).

Radin! (Penny Pincher!)

This is the first movie I've seen starring him, and although I started it very hesitantly, expecting another silly comedy, it ended up winning me over. I laughed a lot and was very impressed by how deeply they delved into the psyche of a miser, rather than just making a superficial caricature. Especially the scene at the expensive restaurant, where he is called to pay, is priceless! Perhaps I recognized parts of myself in the miser's personality, which is why it impressed me so much? I'm very afraid that this is the case! Stinginess, I would say, is an easy and obvious tendency of human nature (like gossip, xenophobia, etc.). Generosity, which we all want in our lives, requires some work on our part (both internally and externally).

8 Rue de l'Humanité

This is the second movie of his I've seen, during the COVID period. And the movie deals precisely with this—how the quarantine era, with its dangers, absurdities, and precautions, affected the relationships of the residents of a French apartment building. I don't remember much about the movie, and honestly, today I would avoid watching a movie with such a theme like the plague—it would seem so inexplicably off and distant, even though we just recently lived through it. I have absolutely no desire to recall that era, even with the humorous and reflective approach that the movie offers. However, I do remember that the movie captured many of the essential points and stakes of the time, satirized many of them, and I recall wondering why so few movies tackled this topic that affected the entire world, as well as why so few had the courage to confront it and, why not, to mock the aspects that deserved to be mocked.

La Ch'tite famille (Family is Family)

I'm not sure if you caught it at first, but the title is a rustic distortion of the word "family"! In this movie, Dany Boon plays a famous furniture designer in Paris, who, in order to meet the demands of the high society there, was forced to hide his humble origins from a rural family in northern France, where they speak French with a very peculiar accent. Come to think of it, the fact that French people experience racism—specifically, this family from the North, who are known worldwide for their "high nose"—has a "cinematic" interest of its own. Meanwhile, Dany Boon's mother in the film, who is supposed to be a villager without manners, has such an aristocratic look that just a photo of her would top the ballots in the recent European elections in Greece (to get a bit topical).

As you can imagine, there are many clichés in the movie, the outcome is somewhat predictable, but it indeed conveys nice messages and, of course, has its hilarious moments. At first, while I hadn't fully understood what was going on in the movie, I was puzzled by the Greek subtitles that appeared distorted when someone from the family was speaking, and it seemed somewhat unnecessary even if they did speak rural French (which I have no idea about). Later, I realized it was inevitable not to incorporate this accent into the subtitles, as many of the movie's jokes were based on this contrast with "proper" French. Indeed, the translators of the movie must have had quite a headache finding the right words, but I think they did an excellent job and successfully conveyed many of the jokes into Greek. Undoubtedly, for the French and those who speak fluent French and know the French reality even better, the movie will be even more enjoyable.

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