jmurphy-11 "Sitcom," above all, requires a large grain of salt: it is visually shocking and provocative, and American audiences in particular often dismiss it as a "vulgar" film on these grounds. The plot, however, contains an allegorical richness that is rarely attained in most modern films. It is a theater of the absurd, and must be understood as such in order to comprehend the complexity of meanings and social commentaries it has to offer. For starters, it is a criticism on the most basic level of the social alienated embodied by bourgeois social standards in France. One of the most accessible aspects of this commentary is the unwillingness of the characters to genuinely communicate to one another. While this makes several scenes totally hilarious, at the same time it micro-cosmically calls into question the validity of a "coherent" unit to address its internal problems; this is, obviously, an allegorical reference to France as a nation. The nation--like this bizarrely self-contained familial unit--is unable to progress and modernize in accordance with modern needs because of a lack of communication. The abstract issues of race, homosexuality, insanity, and even modern psychiatry are called into question. The modern cannot be a museumization of the past, despite whatever aesthetic benefits such staticness might offer. It would be a good idea before viewing this film to read Freud's "Totem and Taboo." Despite the fact that no scholarly connections between the film and this work in particular have been made, it provides at least some provocative insight into the plot. I would also suggest against making a viewing of this film a family event; it would be most appropriate among those of an older age group, and is a particularly provocative piece of French film.

chartcore I just saw this French movie on my local ethnic station & loved it! Although this movie isn't for the usual consumer of comedy, it spirals around many weird & taboo issues such as: Incest, Homosexuality, Depravity & Sadomasochism. Around all this is "the mother" who is naively caught up in her everyday routines to find the secrets her friends & family hold. I recommend this movie for 2 reasons: It's French & it's different.

irfan-the-gr8 It is a non-coherent movie with every imaginable distortion crammed into a couple of rooms and a wasted hour. Controversy can only get a movie some cheap and shortlived popularity. For this movie, even this is not true. Alors!! avoid it and save precious time.

Blou I stumbled onto this movie late one night on SBS (Australia's foreign movie channel specialist) and I thought it was going to be another perverted French film. Well, I was right, but I actually enjoyed this exaggerated look into family dysfunction. It all begins with the father of the family bringing home a pet rat, to which his wife reacts to in disgust. His son, Nicolas and daughter, Sophie, are rather indifferent to the creature. That night at dinner, the nerdy son announces his homosexuality and then in the privacy of his bedroom, has it on with the maids husband, Abdu. The daughter soon jumps out of a window to become a paraplegic and indulges in sadomachoism and bondage with her boyfriend. The mother indulges in a bit of incestuous sex with her son. Dysfunction with a capital D! And just when you thought the father hadn't been affected by the arrival of the rat... well, I won't spoil the ending but I know you'll either be pleasantly surprised of pleasantly disgusted. This movie is superb. It has a great cast, and even though it is a tan unbelievable, it is thoroughly entertaining! ***1/2/*****