SYNOPSICS
L'emmerdeur (2008) is a French movie. Francis Veber has directed this movie. Richard Berry,Patrick Timsit,Pascal Elbé,Virginie Ledoyen are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2008. L'emmerdeur (2008) is considered one of the best Comedy movie in India and around the world.
An aging mobster is being transported from prison to the courthouse in Nice where he may name names. Milan, a hit man, checks into a hotel with a view of the courthouse; he sets up with a high-powered rifle to wait. François, a self-pitying photographer whose wife has left him, checks into the room next to Milan, intent on suicide. His bumbling, his constant chatter, and his calls to his ex and her husband threaten to keep Milan from success.
Same Actors
L'emmerdeur (2008) Reviews
Original movie 1973, Buddy Buddy is a remake...
If you carefully watch the "full Cast and Crew" for "Buddy, Buddy", you can notice that the original play and the screenplay are from Francis VEBER, who also wrote the original screenplay of the 1973 movie by Edouard MOLINARO. Chronologically : 1973 - L'Emmerdeur, by Edouard MOLINARO / 1981 - Buddy, Buddy by Billy WILDER / 2008 - L'Emmerdeur, by Francis VEBER. So, before "noticing" that a movie reminds you of another movie, and maybe suggest that it is a "copy", please go through the "full cast and credits" and READ the names of the people who wrote the screenplay, or the original book or play... This could avoid some unneeded comments. Thank you.
Why is this film rated so poorly? It's a decent little comedy.
"A Pain in the Ass" ("L'emmerdeur") was originally a play from Francis Veber--one of France's best writer/directors. The story was made into a film in 1973, remade as "Buddy, Buddy" in the States a few years later and now is remade here in 2008. In between, Veber also was responsible for "The Dinner Game" (recently remade as "Dinner for Schmucks"). These are a lot of films with essentially the same idea. In every case, a bad person ends up having their lives destroyed by an idiot--a well meaning idiot, but an idiot nonetheless. The film begins with the police taking a witness across the country testify. However, there's a price on his head and the police are taking a caravan with several cars, an armored truck and lots of well-armed men. What they don't know is that an assassin is waiting across from the court in a hotel--waiting to pick off the witness. The problem is that a total idiot living next door starts a series of events that roll out of control when he attempts suicide. In addition, a guy who's stolen the idiot's wife gets pulled into it--and he, too, has his life ruined by the idiot and a lot of weird coincidences. It's all very dark--but also quite funny--even if it has been filmed many times already. While not among Veber's best work, it is still quite good--and I have no idea why it currently only have an IMDb score of 4.9--as this would seem to indicate it's a bad film.
Chaos Theory
I had the great pleasure of seeing the stage version - complete with the two leads - in Paris shortly before it was filmed. I was already a fervent admirer of Francis Veber (I still am) and owned the original film version on DVD, in that version, of course, Veber supplied only the screenplay. Reading the four reviews here it would seem that Veber is an acquired taste and if that is so then Billy Wilder is also an acquired taste, for Wilder it was who 'adapted' L'Emmerdeur' into what became his last film, 'Buddy, Buddy', which did, of course, fail to find its audience. All this to one side L'Emmerdeur remains a great conceit in all three versions and if Lino exudes more menace than Richard Berry then so be it, just as, by the same token, Patrick Timsit IS Francois Pignon in a way that Jacques Brel could only aspire to. Comedy? Check. Black? Check. So what are you waiting for.
Only the french
Let me start, by saying, that I didn't know this was a remake and I haven't seen the Original movie. The idea it plays with is funny enough to be remade I guess. And only the french seem to be able to walk this fine line, between being annoying and successful with this concept, which this movie proves, too. Talking about annoying, one of the two main characters, is very annoying, but without him, you wouldn't have a movie. And although some things seem completely OTT, it still maintains a nice rhythm, which is owed to the script and of course the actors. If you are willing to let yourself go with the flow of the movie, you will very much enjoy it. Actually I'm surprised that there is no plan to make a Hollywood Remake yet. On second thought though, it is pretty difficult to adapt for a mainstream audience!
the tyranny of the weak
An older criminal might turn witness and spill the beans, on an industrial scale. In order to ensure his silence, his former associates hire a hitman. Posing as a respectable hotel guest, the killer hires a room with a good (a VERY good) view of the Palace of Justice. He is about to cross the path of another hotel guest, to wit a love-lorn idiot who wants to commit suicide... Carefully made movie with a clever, funny plot, amusing gags and good performances. Patrick Timsit, especially, is excellent as the most needy, cloying, clinging bore of Europe. His eerily plausible "emmerdeur" is a prime illustration of the tyranny of the weak. Normally constituted persons will leave you alone ; weak persons will cling to you like barnacles and expect you to execute their lightest whim, because you wouldn't like to cause an accident, now would you ? Still, while the movie is enjoyable, it shows a certain lack of variety with regard to locations and events, which may be due to theatrical roots. (For instance, there's no Good Samaritan drive to the maternity ward, as in the 1973 version with Brel and Ventura.) Do yourself a favour and watch the 1973 movie also, so that you can play at "compare and contrast".