Family is Family (2018) User Reviews

Scharming

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 29 March 2018]

"La ch'tite famille" is a new French 2018 movie that runs for 105 minutes. Maybe you guessed from the title already that with this one here writer and director Dany Boon is making a reference back to his very successful (especially commercially) movie about a very unique family. But this reference may also be this film's biggest curse. Many people will criticize it for the lack of real connections (Merad cameo just isn't enough), that they waited too long, that it's just a cheap copy or a cheap attempt to cash in once again. Well I don't think I have seen the 2008 film, so I cannot go any more into detail, but honestly when watching this one here, it's perhaps just the best approach you can give it. As a standalone film, I thought this was a charming little piece most of the time from start to finish. The actors are doing a fine job and the comedy is good, even hilarious at times thanks to the script and physical acting, but also of course the dialogues. As a great deal of the film is about language and pronunciation, I think it is almost impossible to give this one an accurate dubbing without having lots of the charme lost in translation. The subtitles version is what you wanna go for if you aren't fluent in French. The weaknesses are perhaps when the film tries to be too dramatic for its own good like for example the mother-son relationship early on. This was not good and it seems they understood it as this plot part was done without pretty quickly afterward as the film turned into an amnesia story. And as such, it delivered for sure. It was a success every time it did not take itself very seriously. The most known cast member is maybe Pierre Richard once again and while I struggled a bit with his inclusion outside the real story for the most part, it worked again better near the end and honestly he also saved the ending a bit when he lets it all out with his character as the reference back to the mother's birthday felt a bit too random for my taste then. The one part I liked the most really was how eventually Arné's character proved to really love her man by adapting to his lifestyle and not anymore forcing her lifestyle upon him. She gave a really charming performance there. I found it sweet. I found her sweet too of course. This is another great strength here. It is pretty much left open for a long time who eventually the real antagonists are and the really good, even if with some you know immediately of course, but if you watch it, you'll know what I mean. Eventually, I would say if this had been released without any Ch'ti reference or back in the 2000s before the fis´rst Ch'ti film, then people most likely would have given it a far more favorable reception than they did now. I personally enjoyed it though, so I certainly give it a thumbs-up as the positive here is far more frequent than the negative. Actually, there are some really good moments in here in terms of humor and heart. Close to a must-see if you love French films. Go check it out.

No harm, no foul

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 1 July 2018]

This is not high brow comedy, this is not sophisticated in any way, shape or form. Now this should be apparent, especially if you've seen the first one, but I'm pointing it out, because you shouldn't judge this on things it never tried to be or achieve.

Having said that, there are also a lot of cliches in this that may be disturbing to watch or even annoying. But if you get on with it, there is a lot of fun in there too. Just go with the flow, with the non-political correctness of it all and allow yourself to laugh at times. It does not reacht the heights of the first one, but by now you may have fallen in love with the characters which will be very helpful (to enjoy this). Sit back, relax and watch without thinking too much

Comedie a l'americaine

[amaboko123 · 5/10 · 7 June 2018]

A nice, funny movie, full of laughter, with a moralizing tone like in 80's American movies. It takes an accident for the designer to become aware of his fake and artificial life. Curiously they are all chits in real life also! So they speak it really well, even if it is a peasant-like, primitive dialect that scratches the ears. Pierre Richard was really good, Dany Boon as usual, nothing exceptional and the rest pretty poor, but fitting in this superficial comedy, about a rich man that has forgotten his roots. Maybe those roots are not so great, maybe he wanted to become someone else and despised his little provincial town, like a lot of us. Maybe he really felt ashamed of his family, like a lot of us feel too. The real problems are not deal with in mainstream movies. So in the end we get the educated girl speak the grotesque dialect of Nord and associate the Bolero with an Ajax commercial and not Carmen of Bizet. The ending with Richard memorable scene singing his love in "chti"(Je te quere!!- sic!) is quite nice, even if I personally hate those American-like public love declarations. The melody though would certainly be more successful, than the sorry bunch the French presented at Eurovision in the last 20 years.

So French

[laetitiapayombo · 6/10 · 6 July 2018]

Better than a documentary it's a declaration of love to a certain idea of France. It's a movie about success, love and shame. The photography isn't amazing but it's well edited and fun. However, all the fun lies in the regional language, so I don't know how it feels for someone who doesn't understand French.

Dany sera toujours Dany

[stermix501 · 7/10 · 13 July 2020]

Dany Boon is not one of my all time favourites like Louis de Funes. But, no matter the imdb rankings of his movies he always provides a safe choice of humble but good enough entertainment. This movie is no an exception to this.

What a weird sequel

[danielatala8 · 3/10 · 18 December 2018]

I thought it was gonna actually follow the lives of all the people in the original movie but they have changed many actors and erased some of the events of the past movie as if they never happened... and they don't explain why, it's as if this is in a parallel universe or timeline. And it would've been ok but it just doesn't have a logic though, does it?

I guess it has some positive aspects, but they are few. And the tone is so different from the last movie who was light hearted and downright funny movie, you know, a movie that makes you laugh with your whole soul? But this one didn't even provoke a single laugh, I think it should've been marketed as a drama cause as a drama it kind of works but at the same time it doesn't... and especially for fans of the first movie this seems just so tonally distant from the first one... the whole experience feels utterly jarring.

I gave it a three cause it lacked the charm and all the points I mentioned above, very weird sequel that is more sad than funny and some of the characters just disappear from the narrative. Even the main character from the last movie portrayed by Kad Merad makes a cameo but then again it's as if he never went up the north, he just plays himself as an actor (if I remember it right). Anyways don't watch it, it's just a waste of time, I wish I hadn't... and if you haven't seen the first one then you should totally do it, and skip this one.

Brilliant acting game

[minerva-24926 · 10/10 · 16 March 2019]

No need for the snob world. Natural is the real thing. Don't forget where you came from. Brilliant acting game. We laughed a lot. Real European. Really French. Sweet, fun, light. But the topic is serious, the basic idea is excellent. I heartily recommend it to the young, the elderly. We got a nice evening. Thanks to the creators and the actors!

Nice to watch

[justinsacher · 8/10 · 31 March 2018]

Not better than the first part. But for his own, a good film with emotions and parts of funny stuff.

10 out of 10

[romanucalex · 10/10 · 23 November 2020]

What a wonderful movie! The actors are genial, the idea is good and not trashy or dirty

It is worth so much more than the poor rating it got... I didn't want the "bonne humeur" to end!!

[GDovW · 10/10 · 27 May 2020]

{I watched it after having an emotionally difficult week, and it was a great cure for the evening!! Thank you so much Dany Boon!!} This movie (not to be mistaken as a sequel for "Bienvenue chez les ch'tis") brings beautiful moments of relationships, and we go through those moments with laughter! ... and some, even bring a delicate tear in the corner of the eye. There are many funny moments and the acting is well done: when it is a comedic scene or a more serious one, the tone is well respected! And if you haven't got enough laughter throughout the movie, stay for the end credits; for sure some of them will bring you a big smile! It makes you wonder why the rating as of May 2020 is 5.7 ??!!

Fell over laughing

[sparklefish · 10/10 · 28 February 2021]

I felt completely uplifted from watching this heartwarming comedy. I loved everything about it! The acting was outstanding and the characters were quirky and lovable. It's been a couple weeks since I watched the movie and I still keep remembering scenes and giggling!