It’s an unstoppable mechanism that makes Emmanuel Patron’s comedy a real success. Adapted from the play he wrote with his sister Armelle (a triumphant play that has exceeded 900 performances), the film “Chers parents” echoes the dark Italian comedies, something between “L’Argent de la vieille” and “Affreux, sales et méchants.”
Jeanne and Vincent (Miou-Miou and André Dussollier), retired teachers originally from the left, have asked their three children to join them in their house in the South of France. Louise (Pauline Clément of the Comédie-Française) is in her 8th year of medical school and lives alone with her cat. Pierre (Arnaud Ducret) has started his own solar panel company and is a man attached to the power of money. Finally, Jules (Thomas Solivérès), with painted nails and unruly hair, is a poet and critic, lacking the courage to write a first novel.
Frightened by the suddenness of the parental “summoning,” Louise, Jules, and Pierre are relieved when their parents announce that they want to go to Cambodia to create an orphanage. But how will they afford it? Learning that Jeanne and Vincent have actually won the lottery, the interests are sharpened. Pressured by their offspring but showing a certain cynicism, the retirees ask the children to write down on a piece of paper the amount each desires. The requests will be uneven but relatively modest compared to the amount that Louise, Jules, and Pierre will learn the next day: 150 million euros.
“Chers parents” is an unstoppable comedy whose authors never faltered in the face of the darkness of characters or situations. It goes very, very far and until the last minute of the film. Bernard Alane and Christiane Millet, who played in the theater play, are also in the film. It’s a perfectly crafted and exciting comedy.
“Chers parents,” lasting 1 hour and 26 minutes, will be in theaters starting on Wednesday, February 25, 2026.
