Non-fiction
Bienvenue chez le Ch’tis review

Bienvenue chez le Ch’tis review

‘Bienvenue chez le Ch’tis’ is a 2008 comedy directed by Dany Boon, who also has a role in the film. Philippe Abrams is our main character, a director of a post office in Provence, France. He decided to pose as a disabled man to be transferred to the south of France, as they are prioritised. But he is immediately caught, and as a consequence he is transferred to their office in the north of France, specifically Bergues, for two years. The film therefore is going away to concentrate on the differences between the south of France, and the north. Thos review will look at whether or not it is a typical french comedy, and also goes to give a personal opinion.

The film begins with a family: mother, father, and their son, a usual subject for a comedy. The film starts with a phone call, and we find out that Philippe’s move to the south has been refused, as whoever is given the position must be disabled. His wife can be perceived as a stereotypical woman: emotional and angry about the cancelled move, but when her husband asks if she’s angry, she replies that she’s not. But it is important to be aware that caricaturing certain characters according to stereotypes for the sake of humour isn’t unheard of in comedies.

Another common element in French comedies is the inclusion of ‘sensitive’ subjects, something that isn’t really seen in American or British comedies. In this case it’s disabilities. We have other comedies that discuss disabilities, for example ‘la famille Bélier’, which is about a young girl who has deaf parents, another example is the film ‘the untouchables’.

Some elements are obviously comedic, such as exaggerated voice tones, and upbeat background music when a character runs weirdly, making the scene seem like it has been copied from a Disney Channel episode. The music changes drastically when Philippe leaves for the north, into a more ‘cold’, and dramatic tone.

Regional differences are also common topics in comedies, and not just among French films. The one that immediately comes to mind is ‘the Spanish Affair.’

After discovering that he will have to move to Bergues, Philippe goes to speak with his wife’s uncle, who gives him advice. He talks about the difference in accents, how the people there and also the animals are known as ‘Sheutemi’. But usually, comedies based on the differences between regions have the ‘message’ to not believe in negative stereotypes as you cannot paint everyone with the same brush, ‘Bienvenue au Ch’tis’ shows us the stereotypes about how they talk, about cold and weather are true, but the north remains a hellish landscape that, at most, can be tolerated.

In conclusion, the film is full of stereotypes. The hatred against the north is seen on many occasions: Philippe’s wife who insists that living there is her worst nightmare and she is not strong enough to leave with him, the police who decide not to sanction because it is in the process of moving north. We have Philippe who says that Antoine, one of his colleagues, speaks in a strange way, and he asks him if he has injured his jaw, even though he was aware of how they speak. Maybe the French find it funny and true because they can relate, if they come from the north or they have been to the north. But for someone who does not come from France, ‘Bienvenue chez le Ch’tis’ is only a comedy that is amply exaggerated, so much so that it gives the feeling of watching a parody.