Bienvenue chez les Rozes

Imagine a film in which the plot turns ever more twisted with each circumstance. As if "Le diner de cons" meet "Pulp Fiction". Murphy's Law tangles every well laid plan into a unexpected and ever deepening mesh of disastrous consequences, in which every character willingly and cathartically expose themselves to be exactly the opposite of who they are portrayed to be… shockingly so in fact. "Bienvenue chez les Rozes" is like a book that you can't put down. The difficult and delicate elements that make dark humor work are held in perfect balance by Palluau's direction, screenplay and gifted cast in this excellent and inspired film. Dramatic, sexy, gory, comedic, shocking and smart, from its star studded cast to the "four randonneurs" who cue the quirky haunting musical theme just in time to remind us that this is a comedy, "Bienvenue chez les Rozes" is at the top of my favorite French Film list, and I recommend it highly to American viewers as well. Bravo!

This is a rare gem that gradually rotates the viewers' perspective of the characters 180 degrees, leaving us fascinated, slightly repulsed, and thoroughly amused. I was actually grinning when it ended, a rare response to a dark comedy.

Two convicts have escaped while being transported back to prison, and find refuge with the Rozes, who seem completely at ease with the situation. We gradually discover why this is so. I've been bored, or at best left unimpressed, by so many French films that set out to satirize middle class family values. Perhaps fortuitously, Welcome to the Roses succeeds where the others have failed. I think it's because the Rozes are not merely placeholders in the plot symbolizing Everyman, nor are they initially presented as individuals so flawed that the film must teach them a lesson. Instead, they're affable, even lovable. We all want the Rozes as neighbors. Be careful what you wish for!

Monsieur and Madame Roze, Andre Wilms and Carole Bouquet, take a plot that could have devolved into incredulity and make us believe that what we see is their normality. So too does Clemence Poesy, who as daughter Magali presents a striking figure in this film. The younger escapee Gilbert (Lorant Deutsch) surely wins the Strongest Moral Fiber of the Year Award. And Jean Dujardin (MG) eventually wins our empathy, convincing us that bad luck, more so than bad judgement, has brought him to this cuckoo's nest.

It's just kooky enough, and just serious enough, and we're left with hopes that Justice will prevail. Enjoy!

Countless are those films that have been made based on the premise of criminals, or specifically escaped convicts, taking hostages. None of them have been like this, though. What an absolute delight! Wry, cheeky, morbid comedy fills these ninety minutes right from the start; writer-director Francis Palluau has treated us to some of the best, smartest situational comedy I've seen in a long time. As Gilbert and GM encounter the Roze family they quickly discover they're in over their heads in ways that neither they, nor we, could have possibly anticipated. And the result is a blast from start to finish; 'Bienvenue chez les Rozes' is an instant modern classic!

Truly, Palluau has given us a gift. The screenplay is a minor marvel, with dialogue, scene writing, and especially characters that are weird, wild, and wonderfully imaginative; the narrative twists a familiar notion into a splendid, vibrant, endlessly playful new shape. His direction is just as sharp in arranging every shot and scene, heightening the humor in every way possible, and to that end this is a tremendous credit as well to cinematographer Romain Winding for such vivid, dynamic camerawork. Between these elements alone and Véronique Parnet's keen editing, the comedic timing at all points is exceptional, making this picture the most fun I've had in some time. And speaking of fun, I have to assume every day of filming was a joyful romp, like the end result, more than work, because it definitely seems like the cast is having the time of their lives. Carole Bouquet, Clémence Poésy, André Wilms, Jean Dujardin, Lorànt Deutsch, and all others fully embrace the silly, offbeat tenor of the project, to the point that even if 'Bienvenue chez les Rozes' didn't pass muster otherwise, their wholehearted energy would be infectious enough to carry the day on on its own.

Rounded out with fantastic production design, art direction, costume design, hair, makeup, and effects, I cannot overstate how terrifically entertaining this is. Even flashbacks are employed more fruitfully than we sometimes get in other features as they further both the narrative and the comedy. It's a shame this isn't more well known, and I'm a bit aghast that I only stumbled onto it by chance. Suffice to say that as far as I'm concerned this movie is altogether brilliant, and 'Bienvenue chez les Rozes' earns my enthusiastic recommendation for one and all!