WilliamCKH Based on the premise, I had high expectations for this film. I was not disappointed. The film, however, started out, I thought, too quickly, too cleverly, a la Amelie Poulain, with its introductions and back stories of the main characters. When the film settled down, inside the apartment, the film got back on track to a pace I could enjoy. The dialogue is wonderful between the characters, each character having a unique voice and talking about subjects I would talk about at a dinner party. Each character had a certain point of view, unique yet relatable. Although the title is only a springboard to other subjects, it does start the film rolling, and roll it does, from jokes, to misunderstandings, to secrets, to childhood resentments, to pent up rage reaching it's climax during Babu's meltdown. Although all the characters are interesting, it is Babu we are rooting for. I loved Valérie Benguigui's amazing performance. I'd never seen her in films and I hope that I get to see more of her. The other actors are also fine in their roles. I must also say that Francoise Fabian has just aged beautifully. The first time I saw her was in Eric Rohmer's MY NIGHT AT MAUDS'S which was released in 1969. She still looks amazing.....I wrote this review before reading all the credits and was saddened to learn that Valerie Benguigui passed away in 2013 from cancer. People are here for a short time and they leave us. Some, if lucky, leave behind something that is forever in the cultural landscape. I'm glad I was witness to this beautiful film and beautiful performance ..Rest in Peace

Bantam A comedy is a tragedy, that does not concern you. Like when we see a person trip and fall. We laugh. For them it's most certainly not funny.The movie itself borrows from (or was inspired by) the adaptation of Carnage by Polanski. A group of five long-time friends (some are family) get together for an evening of food and wine. Vincent (Bruel - a fine French actor, btw.) tries to push the buttons of his liberal lefty brother-in-law, Pierre, for personal amusement. He tells Pierre, that he (Vincent) and his wife (Anna) are planning to call their first-born son 'Adolphe'. The exchange between them leads, almost inevitably, to a heated conversation about naming conventions, perceptions of names and ultimately into a meta-discussion about values and bigotry. Mind you, Pierre's children are called Appolin and Myrtille (in the translated version she was named Melody).The evening goes totally south from there, with everybody having some sort of beef with each other- and not holding back at spilling the beans. There is a lot of resentment, and a lot of venom flying all over. However, the movie ends on a happy note.Since almost the entire movie takes place in the apartment of Pierre and Elisabeth, it solely relies on the interaction between the characters. And this is what makes the movie great, IMO. The exchanges are really well written, witty and funny. They are also very hurtful, most of them are nasty blows below the belt. This is the part that makes it real fun to watch. Even though most of the dialogue is a kick in the teeth, it is still poignant and delivered with panache. A real treat to watch. I would have loved to watch them in French, but this would have been a waste. However, the translation was superb from what I could gather. It's not easy to make a good movie that is solely dialogue-driven, but this one pulls it off.As mentioned, since it did not concern me, the entire 'bouquet' of dialogue (insults, innuendos, allegations and hard truths) did really made laugh. A fantastic piece of French comedy with subtle undercurrents and punches aimed at the idyllic suburban life of the (upper?) middle- class. In short: one of the best dramedys I've seen in some time. Well written, well acted and directed! I only realised after checking it, that the team behind this one did also: Bis (2015), L'immortel (2010) and Renaissance (2006). If you want some seriously funny French cinema, grab it.

gregking4 Successful and easy going real estate agent Vincent (Patrick Bruel, from Paris Manhattan, etc) is about to become a father for the first time, and at an intimate gathering with a close circle of friends he drops a bombshell when he reveals the controversial proposed name for his son. This sets off a heated exchange between Vincent and Pierre (Charles Berling, from L'Ennui, etc), his uptight and educated left wing brother-in-law and long suffering wife Elizabeth (Valerie Benguigui). Also reluctantly dragged into the arguments is Elizabeth's long time friend and musician Claude (Guillaume de Tonquedec), and Vincent's chain smoking heavily pregnant wife Anna (Judith El Zein). Soon other secrets, long simmering issues, startling revelations and recriminations bubble over, and the evening becomes rather heated. Politics, religion, history, egos, trust, family issues, and even sexual orientation soon become fair game, and everyone is vulnerable. Oh yes, there will be blood spilled (figuratively speaking). This bitingly savage and hilarious comedy/drama is a bit like a Gallic version of Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf or the recent Carnage, in which a dinner party goes out of control and the guests verbally tear strips off each other. No-one emerges from the evening unscathed. There are many twists before the evening is over, and many will blind side audiences familiar with this type of claustrophobic drama. The staging is very theatrical in nature as the action is confined to Pierre and Elizabeth's living room. It's not surprising to learn that writer and co-director Matthieu Delaporte first conceived the idea as a stage play but then decided to turn it into a feature film. Delaporte and Alexandre De La Patelliere have collaborated as writers on a number of films including 22 Bullets and an Iron Man television series. While Delaporte has directed one other film, his writing partner De La Patelliere is making his debut with this film. Their direction is fluid, and they maintain the pace throughout this dialogue driven film. The astute, erudite and crisp screenplay delivers a barrage of verbal zingers and caustic put downs, and the tone shifts seamlessly between the comic and the dark and serious. The chemistry between the five person ensemble cast is electric. Production designer Marie Cheminel has created a wonderfully warm book lined set that is the perfect backdrop for the verbal sparring.

Chris L Mix of Un Air de Famille by Klapisch and Carnage by Polanski, Le Prénom is clearly divided in two parts: the first is pure comedy oriented, whereas the second is more drama focused.The problem is that those two parts aren't homogeneous: the beginning is very good, dynamic, the dialogues fly, the humour is really present and the viewer is quickly sucked in. Unfortunately, the more the film progresses, the more the comical aspect is left aside, and the more the movie loses interest. The script goes thought bland and uninteresting passages, and we are served a dramatic aspect that isn't the most exciting one, which is disappointing in comparison to the thundering start.A fifteen minute cut, mostly from the second part, could have also improved the overall rhythm of the movie.Special mention to the cast who was very good and showed a great chemistry.