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Welcome To the Sticks (2008)

Time Out rating

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6 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Comic writer-director Dany Boon’s broad, non-PC, supposedly ‘heart-warming’ farce trades on French regional prejudices that may bemuse audiences here. Provençal postmaster Philippe (discombobulated but bonhomous Kad Merad) is posted north after impersonating the disabled in order to procure a sought-after Côte d’Azur transfer and finds himself sentenced to two years among the smelly-cheese-and-offal-loving, lisping burghers of Bergues, south of Dunkirk.

Initially expecting a cold reception, as his well-travelled uncle has told him of a community of retarded coal miners existing in temperatures approaching -50C who pronounce ‘a’ as ‘o’, Philippe warms to the dietary and dialectically challenged locals (notably Boon’s ingénue, Antoine). But will Philippe’s sun-worshipping son and spouse respond as positively to the land of frost, friendship and fricadelle-et-frites? There’s some mildly amusing, local-départment-pleasing, set pieces – the Dunkirk carnival is clearly a hoot – and a soupçon of sentimental uplift, but the most fun comes with the triple-‘s’-sprayed subtitles. Fancy ssshom Coco-Colo, anyone?

Author: Wally Hammond

Time Out London Issue 1963 – April 3 – 9

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User reviews of this film

cary90 said...

Posted on Dec 29 2009 11:54 I'm writing a work about the question "The film "Welcome to the sticks, has he contributed to improve the image of the north of france?". What is your opinion, (is it perhaps only a question for french people)? Thank you very much for answering.

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Sally and Eki Ryhanen said...

Posted on May 02 2009 07:56 We rarely buy movies but HAVE TO BUY THIS. wE HAVE HONESTLY NEVER LAUGHED WITH A MOVIE LIKE THIS ONE. Endomorphin incarnate.

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Marquerite New Zealand said...

Posted on Jan 04 2009 00:27 Now this was an awesome funny movie and had all of us in fits of laughter. Great choice for the opening of the NZ Film Festival 08

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Jack Cottrell said...

Posted on Jul 06 2008 12:10 Hilarious, comedy definetly worth a watch no wonder it smashed all records at the box office go and see it!

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Paul said...

Posted on May 11 2008 21:40 An odious film masquerading as a comedy premised on one part of France speaking with a speech impediment and being less cultured than the south. After a while the joke wears thin and the overhead microphone appears regularly in and out of shot. No surprise the French make a film like this, think it is funny then read about race riots in Paris.
Ok, it's a harmless Carry Up In Calais type of film, but that is the point, in the 80's it would have been funny, now it is just tedious and mildly offensive.
Save your Euros and go and see Persepolis instead.

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Johannis1 said...

Posted on Apr 11 2008 18:21 This is probably the best French comedy of the year. Two excellent actors Danni Boon and Kad Merad supports this unusual story of a post agency director who is transferred to the northern part of France; a region famous for her coalmines, flat landscape, grey sea and military cemetories. Not really the dream he had promised to accomplish to his depressed spouse.The latter wil prefer to stay in southern France and for her unluck hsband starts a period of rerssourcing among a team of joyful postmen and tough northerners. This transfer will show him the wrongness of the stereotypes against the hearty and strong people of ordinary people andworkmen of northern France.

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