Didier Bourdon, Chantal Ladessou, Camille Lou and Hakim Jemili have what it takes to pop the champagne. Since its release on December 20, Chasse Gardée has attracted more than a million spectators to cinemas. The comedy directed by Antonin Fourlon and Frédéric Forestier thus becomes the first French film of 2024 to cross this symbolic box office milestone.
More than a million entries in two weeks is a sign of real popular success. Buoyed by good word of mouth, the film now attracts a “more casual” cinema audience. Even Parisians returning from vacation, who usually disdain popular comedies, push the doors to go see it and certainly did not expect to come out with a smile on their lips. “All over France, operators have reported to us that they have seen absent customers return since the reopening of theaters,” says Lucie Trampoglieri, director of distribution at UGC.
With this expansion of the public and 30% increase in the number of copies, Chasse gardee is set to be much more than the French comedy of the end of year holidays where its admissions had jumped 62% between its release week and the following . According to Lucie Trampoglieri, the film “works particularly well in hunting regions such as the Center Val de Loire and Nouvelle Aquitaine. The cities with the most entries are Le Mans, Tours and, more surprisingly, Abbeville in the Somme.”
Contrary to what the poster and trailer suggest, this comedy about neighborhood concerns between neo-rural Parisians and hunters but also between generations is much finer than expected. The replies written by Antonin Fourlon are always on point: there is no bias, everyone takes what they want. The casting is intergenerational. The supporting roles played by Isabelle Candelier, André Penvern and Thierry Lhermitte are well served. Ultimately, only the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and her PS, PC and EELV deputies will laugh. Dirt, endless construction sites, trees felled for better concrete… the film details the reasons for the departure of Parisians from the capital since their arrival in power. The well-felt retort about bicycles being allowed to ride in front of buses (in addition to those reserved for cyclists) particularly hits the mark. Hunting is also a film about living together, which is good in the current anxiety-provoking climate.
