À bas les hommes: A wedding disaster that feels oddly real

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, if you have a soft spot for vintage slapstick that doesn’t take itself too seriously, go for it. It’s perfect for a rainy afternoon when you just want something light and slightly mean-spirited. If you need grand stakes or deep character arcs, you’ll probably find this as dry as a wedding cake left out in the sun.

Adolphe Cocu is the kind of guy who knows exactly how a marriage is going to end before the groom even finishes his vows. There’s something deeply relatable about that jaded photographer energy. He’s just standing there with his camera, basically waiting for the inevitable screaming match to start. 📸

The whole plot hinges on the wife trying to replace her husband with literally anyone else. She goes from a skinny suitor to this big, bulky athlete in a jersey who looks like he’s lost his way to a gym. It’s classic stuff, but there’s a weird rhythm to how she handles these guys.

Then there’s the third accomplice. You’d expect him to be the final straw, but he just hits it off with the husband instead. Watching the wife lose her mind while the two men bond over, well, whatever they bond over, is the highlight. It feels like a precursor to the chaotic energy you see in movies like Uneasy Money, though with a lot more pettiness.

The acting is… well, it’s definitely from a different era. People don’t talk; they project. André Siméon brings this frantic, nervous energy to the screen that makes you wonder if he had five cups of coffee before the scene. ☕

It’s not a masterpiece. The pacing is a bit like a drunk driver—swerving from scene to scene without much warning. But sometimes that’s better than a perfectly polished film that bores you to tears. It reminds me a bit of the chaotic vibe in Bobby geht los where things just keep escalating for no reason other than it’s fun to watch.

Small things I noticed:

• The athlete’s jersey looks like it was made of wool and probably smelled terrible.
• The way Cocu holds his camera is definitely not how you’re supposed to hold a camera, but who cares?
• The background extras in the wedding scene look like they’re waiting for a bus rather than celebrating a marriage.

It’s a short watch. Don’t overthink it. Just enjoy the spite.