Bienvenue Chez Les Ch'tis (Welcome to the Sticks) French with English Subtitles Region 1 DVD, USA/Canada Edition

A really enjoyable comedy — don’t overthink it, just sit back and have a good time. Some of the dialogue is in regional dialect (like Ch’ti), so it might be a bit hard to follow for some viewers, but overall it’s easy to enjoy. I also had the chance to watch the Italian version, which is very similar and just as funny. Both versions are great for a relaxed family evening with plenty of laughs. Pros: ✔️ Lighthearted and funny ✔️ Great for families ✔️ Regional humor adds charm Cons: ❌ Some lines in patois might be hard to understand without subtitles

I do not speak French but am becoming a fan of Dany Boon and have purchased more movies he has starred in and/or directed. This movie is hilarious and extremely well written with great acting. Even though I read the subtitles I had the volume turned up. The movie is about Philippe (Kad Merad) who is as a manager in a post office and his difficult wife pressures him constantly to get a transfer down south to the French Rivera which he tries but it is impossible for him as they give those positions to handicapped people. After unsuccessfully trying to get a transfer he pretends he is handicapped but is caught out. As punishment Philippe is transferred to Bergues, the very top of the north, for two years - to the "sticks". Everyone thinks the north is always extremely cold and raining, and the people are unsophisticated and speak their own language. He leaves his wife and son behind as he does not think they would survive living in the north after hearing all the stories and goes alone returning every second weekend. When Philippe drives to the north he is miserable believing all he has heard. Dany Boon plays Antoine, a postal delivery man, working under Philipe. The chemistry between them is fantastic along with the other actors and the humour is great. It just gets better and better from here. A real delightful film!!!

This was a gift and enjoyed by all who watched. The story is indeed funny. The relationship of the wife, husband and family life is unifying and amazingly solid in a humorous way. The humor is about France culture: the north versus the south and, of course, about family and friends. The one aspect I did not expect was that in the North the French accent is quite different. For one that is just learning French, this accent, exaggerated, makes it more difficult to pick up. The objective in buying this movie was to practice listening to French. The movie was so funny that we did not even care if the listening aspect was a bit difficult.

Our experience with French films has been one of extremes. French sensibilities do not always align with American, with the result that we either love them or hate them. This mismatch sometimes extends to the decision making on what movies should be released here or not. This movie suffered from this miscalculation. It is our understanding that Bienvenue Chez Les Ch'tis was one of the biggest hits in recent years in France. Yet, the decision was made not to release this film in the U.S., not even on DVD. You will not find this movie on cable or on Netflix. What a shame! We had to track the film down on Amazon to buy a copy released in Quebec. Our copy is now making its way through friends and family for them to enjoy. Danny Boon has created a sweet, comic fish out of water story in which a post office manager is transferred, against his will, to the far north of France. This is the french version of the boonies, the Appalachians or the deep south. Much to his surprise he discovers that it is not what everyone assumes it to be. Yet to maintain his credibility with his family and friends back home he must maintain the fiction of a man suffering when he visits them. There is much humor in both places and in watching him go to greater extremes to maintain the lie as the story progresses. The odds are the only way you will see this film is to buy the DVD. The cost is less than what you will waste taking someone to most movies. My advice is to spring for the film, make some popcorn and curl up with family or friends and enjoy.

This is laugh out loud funny. Rented it then went ahead and bought it. Not just funny but warm hearted and lovely. Enjoyed all the characters and how they bonded with each other. I don't think you have to be from France to love this movie or to 'get' the funny stereotypes the southerners have against the northerners. Just a very delightful movie to watch with the family if they don't mind sub titles. Our favorite part was when the wife came and husband and friends tried to fool her. Buy it or at least rent it. I think you'll love it too!

This is a delightful movie from start to finish. My husband and I had seen it several years ago on an international flight. I couldn't remember the title, and contacted the airline to help with that. They didn't seem to know what they aired on their flights. This May we were in Paris and I asked a tour guide if she knew the plot and she said "oh yes, it is my favorite movie!" She wrote down the title and as soon as I got home I searched on Amazon and there it was. It is subtitled, easy to understand and enjoy.

A great comedy, truly funny because of great actors. It also makes francophiles understand why it is not always easy to get what all French people are saying if they come from an area where the dialect is different from the one taught in the Parisian area. Some people from Canada speak French with such twist. It makes us revisit History and learn about people's origins before their countries became unified like in France which is so culturally rich because of the diversity of its multiple regions. This movie got lots of awards and caused renewed appreciation for the Northern part of France in need of touristic help. The humor is truly universal in this movie and the whole family will have a great time watching it!

おもしろいと評判の映画なので見ました。フランス語字幕がついているのでわかりやすいです。字幕がなければ標準語でない部分はわからなかったでしょう。おもいしろおかしく、しかも人のやさしさが伝わって来る話でした。親子の密着とかフランスの一般的なイメージからは遠いのでフランスでもこういう話もあるのかと思いました。単純と言えば単純な話ですが、ほのぼのとしています。

Very funny! Highly recommended.

Film bellissimo e divertentissimo. Consigliatissimo. Issimo.

Philippe ist Postbeamter. Seit einiger Zeit bemüht er sich um eine Versetzung - in wärmere Gefilde, da wo sich das Arbeiten fast wie Urlaub anfühlt. Schade nur, dass immer andere, Randgruppenzugehörige, bevorzugt behandelt werden und ihm die schönen Jobs vor der Nase wegschnappen. Philippe greift zu einer List, fliegt auf und - landet zur Strafe bei den Schtís, tief im französichen Norden. Zunächst ohne Frau und Kind aber bewaffnet mit funktionaler Winterkleidung trifft er am ungeliebten Ort ein. Er wird zwar von wärmeren Wetter als erwartet empfangen, aber dafür regnet es Bindfäden und die Menschen, auf die er trifft - zuerst der Postbote Antoine und seine energische Mutter - erscheinen ihm zunächst auch unfreundlich und komisch. Insbesondere ihre Sprache ist für einen Fremden gewöhnungsbedürftig. Doch unerwartet fühlt sich Philippe nach einiger Zeit wohl bei den Sch'tis. Er lernt ihre freundliche Art, das leckere Essen und sogar ihren merkwürdigen Akzent zu schätzen und bemerkt, dass das Leben, die Sorgen und Nöte der Menschen, seinem eigenen gar nicht so unähnlich sind. So hat Antoine etwa Liebeskummer, die Kunden suchen menschliche Nähe und Kontakt. Der Alltags-Strohwitwer wird zu Hause von seiner besorgten Ehefrau am Wochenende außerdem bestens umsorgt. Seine nicht mehr ganz intakte Ehe gewinnt so neuen Schwung und Philippe genießt und lügt. Das klappt wunderbar, bis die Ehefrau nun ihrem Liebsten immer nah sein möchte und tapfer beschließt, ebenfalls in den kühlen Norden zu ziehen. Wieder versucht es Philippe mit einer List. Das geht nicht gut... Die Handlung dieser Kömödie ist keinesfalls spektakulär. Es jagt nicht eine Pointe die andere. Der Film wagt aber einen (zugegeben oft überspitzten) klugen Blick in das Leben von "ganz normalen" Menschen. Dabei entsteht eine sehr charmante Alltagskomik. Witzig z.B. die Szene, in der Philippe Antoine vom Trinken abhalten möchte und schließlich beide als Ergebnis betrunkener denn je durch die Stadt radeln. Wunderbar der Sch'ti Sprachunterricht für Philippe. Ein wenig verliert der Film an Witz, als Philippes Frau zu ihm zieht. Trotzdem ein gelungenes Werk das zwar keine hochanspruchsvolle aber doch intelligente und dichte Unterhaltung bietet. Ich habe viel gelacht! Die deutsche Synchronisation ist sehr gut gelungen, was angesichts des Sch'ti Akzents nicht selbstverständlich ist. Positiv fand ich übrigens auch, dass der Film nicht dem Trend zur Überlänge folgt. Manchmal sind weniger als zwei Stunden im Ergebnis mehr!

I'm a regular visitor to France and a couple of years ago this film and made a big impact there. What I saw was the bi-product marketting of "Ch'ti" everywhere: beer, t shirts, even a dictionary. (Ch'ti is a dialect of the north west of France and Belgium - Belgium recognises it as a language.) Having seen Dany Boon in the marvellous Micmacs I looked around for the DVD. Its a simple plot - basically someone from the south is sent to work in the north and initially finds the culture and particularly the language totally foreign. (A Londoner in Newcastle.) I wont give any more away except this a very funny film, well acted and a family comedy. But it is very much in the French style, which I love, but perhaps isnt for every foreigner. Hopefully the equally brilliant The Artist will broaden our view. One warning: no matter how good your French: use the subtitles else "Ch'ti" will be lost on you. Oh and yes "Ch'ti" is pronounced as it looks!