A fitfully funny French comedy, this is a chick flick with such a blokey inflection that it will simultaneously appeal to and irritate both genders.
A brilliantly edited opening and title sequence take us from the first meeting to the engagement of Thomas (Boubil), an aimless wannabe songwriter and high-flying diplomatic attache Lola (Bernier). Within minutes she is taking him home to meet her parents, who are scarcely an inspiration.
Mother Suzanne (Kiberlain), who eats adzuki beans for breakfast, is busy diverting the business fortune of father Gilbert (Chabat) to aid projects in Africa; the latter vegetates sullenly in front of the television.
When the two men discover that they have something in common - they can't stand the way their respective partners leave sentences unfinished - a bond is formed. The film's impelling idea turns the traditional father-in-law/son-in-law relationship on its head. Gilbert wants to persuade Thomas not to get married lest he end up like him.
This is the cue for some fairly adolescent adventures (they treat the wine-tasting booth in the supermarket as a bar), that will gradually pull them away from their respective partners until the predictable rapproachement.
