A Comedy? with two completely abusing parents torturing their children to feed their sick egos? No, this is not comedy. This should be a drama ending with both parents in prison where they belong.There is nothing funny in harming your children, physically and mentally for your personal issues. What genius had the idea of making a "slapstick" comedy on children abuse by their parents? Real people are not cartoons. This is not a topic for laughs.I watched the movie expected the children to be finally separated from those unfit to be parents, but no, the film ends with them expecting a 4th child..Sigh...

Not as in "not there" or shut off, but as in not your usual simple style. Some would call it inconsistent or lacking focus and flow. Also some might miss this going completely the slapstick route. But the rhythm this sets for itself does work. Set in the real world, with two people still sort of loving each other going off the rails, because of what society expects/pressures people into.So the basis is fundamental and the movie has something to say. That it does with some over the top situations is either funny or boring to some. I still think it does a good job staying on the right side of funny. Which is a great attribute to the actors as well. They have to sell the being in love, but still fighting against each other. The chemistry is phenomenal

... and that says it all ... not a part of human life people usually associate with mirth; here in "Papa ou Maman" there is nothing but; of course it is fiction but the premise of a hard-working professional forty-something couple deciding on a divorce and then reluctantly telling the 3 kids and then clearly fighting to make sure the other one is lumbered with them puts a new slant on the "normal" struggle to keep custody ...the plot is an inversion on accepted social codes and all sorts of mayhem ensues ...as both parents do their utmost to make the kids decide to stay with the other parent.The main quality of this fast-paced social comedy is its impeccable rhythm; it plays like a piece of fluid music; with all the instruments doing their bit flawlessly; both main adult actors have true comedic feel for this piece and I surely cannot be the only person who has noticed Marina Foïs is a quasi dead-ringer for Jennifer Aniston . Highly highly recommended if you want 85 minutes of fun ..

Since most comedies are dumb and dumber I wait for positive word of mouth (from reliable viewers) to watch one. Papa ou Maman did quite well at the box-office and someone told me it was funny so I eventually checked it, my expectations set very low since comedy is seen by producers as a safe bet (to sell the project) rather than a fine challenge (to make a fine movie, discover talent, start a franchise...).Papa ou Maman sports an enjoyable dose of slapstick, yet it doesn't go all the way to slapstick. That is its big flaw: many situations are just plain crazy but in between the main characters just seems ordinary, too ordinary, bordering boring. Be it a writing or producing defect, the result is a movie lacking rhythm and just stretched to fill the compulsory 85min.So I'd say it was a fine surprise for someone expecting nothing, but it is basically just an interesting blueprint for remake. An English remake that would dare to go slapstick, with 2 furious parents, 2 spoilt brats and 1 fine kid.