Movie. Dinner Game, 1996. (HIx: 1)
This is not an “important” film, but it is very funny, and funny movies are so rare that I will try to mention them whenever I find one. Also, it is less than an hour and a half, which is also desirable.
Pierre (Thierry Lhermitte) is part of a group of intellectuals that has a dinner party every Wednesday, where each member is to invite a guest that is idiotic beyond belief, for the amusement of the intellectuals. The guests of course are not in on the joke.
This time, Pierre finds his victim — bumbling bureaucrat François (Jacques Villeret) that likes to build models out of matchsticks. Just before François arrives, Pierre throws his back out of joint and his wife leaves him; so he tries to cancel the engagement. François arrives and understands why the event he has been honored to attend is postponed, but offers to help Pierre make a phone call to try to track down his wife. A wrong number leads to a cascade of mistaken identities and ludicrous situations. It will keep you in stitches.
The French is pronounced quite clearly, and there are English (unfortunately, no French) subtitles. In the assumed world-view, there is a double-minded acceptance and rejection of illicit affairs; this would be disturbing if it were anything but French and a comedy.