Directed by:
Jean-Marie PoiréCinematography:
Jean-Yves Le MenerComposer:
Eric LeviCast:
Christian Clavier, Jean Reno, Valérie Lemercier, Marie-Anne Chazel, Isabelle Nanty, Arielle Sémenoff, Katja Weitzenböck, Michel Scourneau, Gérard Séty (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
Hoping to travel back in time to right an accidental slaying, a 12th-century knight and his bumbling squire are instead sent 900 years into the future. Once they get their 20th-century bearings, they set out to reclaim their castle (now a luxury hotel) and to figure out how to return to their own era--but the newly liberated serf may not want to return. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (5)
I live off this comedy at every medieval event I visit. Totally fecal humor full of bad smells, anuses and exorcised liquids, Christian Clavier as the hideous servant Jacquouille, Jean Reno as the noble knight de Montmirail and the frontal impact of the Middle Ages into the present. Crazy comedy as it should be, foolhardy, relaxing, original... One of the best comedies I have seen. You can denounce it for being grounded, but damn it, read The Ointment Seller or Rabelais, and you might realize that two medieval out-of-towners would be doing exactly as The Visitors suggests...
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In my opinion, this is the funniest comedy ever. Even on the eighth viewing, I busted a gut and cried with laughter through the whole 100 minutes. Jean Reno and Christian Clavier as armor-clad bumpkins in our hectic times and all of the characters they meet are divine. Their antics, conceived in the typically French way, with a fast, frantic pace and crazy camera angles, get me every time. While most French comedies are similarly conceived, I find Les Visiteurs exceptional and perfect, which is also thanks to the amazing music, the lovely fantasy feel and the idea of the film, which is surprisingly strong for the given genre.
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A crazy comedy with an original and excellently crafted premise. The central duo Clavier-Reno, who were given the most turbulent look by the make-up artists, deliver unforgettable acting creations throughout and the story as a whole is conducted at an incredible pace. I didn't have nearly as much fun as I did with, for example, Shut Up!, and there are a few weak scenes, but just for the idea, the great actors and the completely different view of the contemporary world that this film offers, 4* is a must.
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Generally, I tend more toward an intellectually oriented and poetic style of humor, which is the exact opposite of what this film offers. It has humor in the style of classic popular farce, quite coarse and occasionally clearly balancing on the edge of general good taste. Paradoxically, however, this is for a number of reasons, whether it is the interesting and functional cast led by Jean Reno, who, by the way, suits his role of a medieval knight more than the stereotypical characters of impervious killers and uncompromising tough cops, through his lowly primitive servant to a bunch of supporting characters or a funny plot with a lot of functional comedic elements. At the time of its release, I was satisfied and gave it four strong stars, but today, my excitement has waned. However, I am still giving it four stars for being the peak of a certain comedic style that, in its more average form, eludes me and sometimes even repels me. Overall impression: 75%.
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This plot clearly encourages a confrontation between the old and the new, the rules that existed nine hundred years ago are completely different from the ones that are in place now. And the film takes full advantage of that. It's been a long time since I've had the feeling that something is constantly happening in a comedy, but this is a movie that really doesn't stop. The characters' behavior is sometimes absurd, but it adds to the film's pace. The film is not full of jokes that completely ground you, but when you think about them, you have to admit that the French really have a great sense of humor, and they got a lot out of this plot, maybe even the most they could. I didn't believe in this movie, but it convinced me that it's really worth it and I enjoyed it. However, "The Visitors" has such an energy that it keeps you constantly on edge without wanting to leave the film. This is an attribute that most comedies nowadays lack. When, for example, I compare it to the movie "The Intouchables", we are completely somewhere else. "The Visitors" can entertain and their story, even though it doesn't burden itself with causality and time paradox, still works, is original, and manages to captivate. I didn't think I would be recommending this film on a large scale, but I really am. It's still worth it after twenty years.
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