Ça colle: A lesson in how not to renovate

Is it worth your time?

If you like watching people unravel slowly, yes. If you’ve ever done home improvement with a buddy and ended up hating them by dinner, this might be a little too close to home. Avoid this if you’re looking for a relaxing time; the level of frustration on display here is actually kind of exhausting.

Fernandel is doing his usual thing, which is great, but the premise is basically a slow-motion car crash. You just sit there waiting for the glue to get everywhere. And it does. It really, really does.

The Sticky Situation

The whole movie hinges on the idea that wallpapering is easy. It isn't, of course. Watching these two guys wrestle with paper is like watching a slapstick routine where nobody is actually trying to be funny. They just keep making the wrong choice over and over again.

There is a specific shot where the paper starts to bunch up, and you can see the exact moment the character gives up on life. It’s a very human look of defeat.

Why it feels so familiar

It reminded me a bit of the frantic, messy energy you find in Hold That Lion! where everything that can go wrong just kind of piles up. Except here, the stakes are just a dining room wall. It’s absurd.

The pacing is… well, it’s sticky. Sometimes the scene lingers on a puddle of paste for way too long. I’m not sure if that’s an artistic choice or if the editor just enjoyed the chaos. It works, though.

I found myself shouting at the screen to just put the brush down. They never listen.

• The paste looks suspiciously like thick soup.
• The dining room starts looking worse after every attempt.
• Fernandel’s face during the final reveal is worth the price of admission.

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a weirdly specific nightmare that anyone who has ever held a ladder for a friend will recognize. 🎨