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Neuilly sa mère!

Neuilly sa mère!

Movie · 2009 · 10 people

Gabriel Julien-Laferrière directed Neuilly sa mère ! (known in English as Neuilly Yo Mama!), a French comedy of 2009 that lasts roughly 90 minutes. Because its humour comes from social inequality, it has been compared with La vie est un long fleuve tranquille, a 1988 French comedy. The title is a pun as well: word for word it means "Neuilly his/her mother", and it echoes a vulgar French insult (nique ta mère) in which Neuilly serves as a euphemism.

Samy Seghir stars as a North African teenager who has to move from the housing projects to the upscale Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine. The story follows his efforts to adjust to this new and thoroughly unfamiliar social circle, in a humorous tone. Seghir is joined by Valérie Lemercier, Michel Galabru, Ramzy Bedia, Éric Berger, Julien Courbey, Booder, Mokobé, Pierre Ménès and Chloé Coulloud; names such as Rachida Brakni, Denis Podalydès, Élie Semoun, Éric Judor, François-Xavier Demaison and Frédéric Chau also appear.

Philippe de Chauveron, Djamel Bensalah and Gilles Laurent wrote the screenplay. A sequel, Neuilly sa mère, sa mère !, was filmed in 2018.

DirectorGabriel Julien-Laferrière

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Cast

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Booder Booder Actor · 48 years old Chloé Coulloud Chloé Coulloud Actor · 39 years old Éric Berger Éric Berger Actor · 57 years old Julien Courbey Julien Courbey Actor · 50 years old Michel Galabru Michel Galabru Film actor · died at 93 Mokobé Rapper · 50 years old Pierre Ménès Pierre Ménès Film actor · 63 years old Ramzy Bedia Ramzy Bedia Actor · 54 years old Samy Seghir Samy Seghir Actor · 32 years old Valérie Lemercier Valérie Lemercier Actor · 62 years old

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History & Society Lens Asks about the period, the social background and what the work reflects.

Neuilly sa mère! turns social inequality in France into comic material. The struggle of a North African teenager forced to move from the housing projects to the wealthy Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine puts class and origin in the same frame. That is why it is often compared with the 1988 comedy La vie est un long fleuve tranquille; both belong to a comic tradition that feeds on two social worlds colliding. Raising questions about the place of young people from immigrant backgrounds in French society in a light register makes the subject reach a wide audience. But a comedy built on caricature risks reducing both sides to stereotypes, and anyone wanting a deeper reading of the issue may find it stays on the surface.

Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humour and heart.

A light French comedy of about 90 minutes. A teenager trying to fit into a completely different world may feel familiar to kids in their teens. But be aware: even the title is a pun that echoes a crude French insult. The language and jokes may not suit young children. It is a better pick for watching with teenagers.

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

Gabriel Julien-Laferrière's film works the familiar fish-out-of-water template: a kid from the projects meets the rituals of high society, and most scenes mine that mismatch for laughs. The screenplay by Philippe de Chauveron, Djamel Bensalah and Gilles Laurent largely keeps this single idea alive across roughly 90 minutes, and the brevity is a virtue here. Samy Seghir's ease in the lead carries the film, while seasoned names such as Valérie Lemercier and Michel Galabru lend assurance in support. Even so, it never approaches the sharp irony of La vie est un long fleuve tranquille, the film it is compared with; the class satire mostly stays at the level of gags, and the cutting relies on repetition rather than surprise. Enjoyable, but easily forgotten.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

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