NR | 1h 46m | Comedy, Romance | 2008
Films that depict people from more “sophisticated” areas who move to rural regions entertain us because they’re so relatable. This plot formula sets up amusing conflicts, as viewers are treated to culture clashes and eye-opening journeys, as the urbanites have realizations about themselves, as well as about the less refined folks.
Many of these more rural areas are referred to as “the sticks,” or sometimes more derisively as “the middle of nowhere.” Actor-director Dany Boon’s French comedy satire, “Welcome to the Sticks” (“Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis”), from 2008, was a big hit in France.
French-Algerian actor Kad Merad plays the part of Philippe Abrams, a postal manager who lives with his wife Julie (Zoé Félix) and son Raphaël (Lorenzo Ausilia-Foret) in Southern France, about 30 miles north of the Atlantic coast.
To please Julie, he plans to move them south to a posh postal assignment right on the sumptuous French coast of Côte d'Azur. Things don’t quite go as planned for Philippe, though, and he soon finds himself in hot water with his paranoid boss, Jean Sabrier (Stéphane Freiss). From there, Philippe has two options: to be let go or to take a two-year assignment to manage a post in the northern town Bergues. He can’t quit.
Southerners consider small northern towns backward and inhospitable, so Philippe and Julie have a major meltdown when the reality of their relocation sinks in.
The couple assumes that Bergues’s environment will be brutal, so they decide that Julie will stay behind with their son Raphaël in relative comfort, while Philippe will forge ahead to the north and tough it out. In an amusing scene, Philippe dons a parka—as though he’s going on a dangerous, Arctic expedition.
In Bergues, Philippe’s prejudices about the north initially seem well-founded. However, as he gets to know the townsfolk better, many of his preconceptions come into question.
This revelatory process occurs after meeting the post office employees he manages: the particularly beautiful, free-spirited Annabelle Deconninck (Anne Marivin), and the drunk with a heart of gold, Antoine Bailleul (Boon).
Although Philippe’s snooty attitude eventually melts away, he wants to keep up appearances for his wife of himself as a long-suffering husband who endures many a hardship for her. He wants her sympathetic support. When, Julie suddenly decides to join her hubby in Bergues, however, his carefully cultivated ruse is jeopardized.
After reading this film’s premise, I thought it sounded intriguing enough, but worried that I wouldn’t get some of the French nuances that are baked into other cultures’ films. However, this eye-opening production made me realize that some facets of societies can actually be very similar. Many from France’s southern regions (in or near Côte d'Azur) look down upon their rural northern neighbors. If you reverse things latitudinally, there’s a similar pattern in the United States: A good number of northerners (mainly in the coastal cities) consider folks in the South to be backwards or simple-minded. Likely, many countries have comparable cultural chasms that they can refer and relate to.
Perhaps most surprising is how flat-out funny this movie is, despite the need to read subtitles. The physical comedy is so well done that it reminded me of Peter Sellers in the hilarious “Pink Panther” films. Let’s just say that I haven’t laughed out loud this much for as long as I can remember.
This film has some great messages, such as having the patience and open-mindedness to not judge others too quickly. While Philippe initially believes Antoine to be a gay man attracted to Annabelle’s partner, he eventually discovers that things aren’t quite what they seem.
“Welcome to the Sticks” is a charming French comedy that many people will enjoy for its rollicking scenes. Although light and frolicsome on the surface, it also has some thought-provoking elements for those who like to dig a little deeper.
