I suspect this is more of a grey comedy masquerading as Black. Given that's it's about a relative - in this case a son - who's a pain in the ass it's tempting to see it as another angle on the same director's 'Tatie Danielle' where an aunt and not a son was the cause of friction but that would be to superficialize. Tanguy (Eric Berger) has it made; 28 years old, fluent in both Chinese and Japanese and earning good money as a teacher whilst completing his ph.D. A regular girl friend who's anxious to set up light housekeeping with him plus all the spare tail he wants. You're probably waiting for me to describe the kind of swinging bachelor pad that Sinatra used to have in movies like The Tender Trap but the twist is that Tanguy does all this from his parent's house and they've had just about enough thank you very much so they decide to 'encourage' him to leave by taking the cush out of his cushy lifestyle. But Tanguy is not just fluent in Chinese and Japanese he is also an advocate of Eastern philosophy so he turns everything around and smiles tolerantly if not quite inscrutably at all their best-laid plans. The long-suffering parents Edith and Paul (set designer and architect respectively) are played by Sabine Azema and Andre Dussollier, veterans at acting together and boy, does it show. Add a cynical aunt, Paul's mother (Helene Duc) whose constant needling finally spurs them to action and you have a cast that could make Bowling For Dollars seem like Moliere. A fine movie which addresses a subject that is now relevant in England if not other countries.

I did not find the story unrealistic as other users have commented. Actually I know quite a few guys and girls -of different nationalities- that live or have lived with their parents not because they could not afford to live on their own but also because it is... convenient.It is not difficult to understand why someone would still prefer to live with his parents under these circumstances - he lives as he would in an expensive and comfortable hotel (minus the bill!). Everything is taken care of by somebody else (cleaning up after him in the bathroom, laundry & ironing, bills, shopping, preparing dinner etc), he does not have to buy a car since he can use his parents' cars, he does not have to spend his money on everyday's life necessities and he can concentrate without a single worry in his mind on whatever pleases him (e.g. being an eternal student and having a different girl every night in his bed). In a few words : he's just spoiled. You can see when he tries to live on his own that he does not even make an effort, and immediately pre-judges that he could not possibly make it on his own. He does not want to live on his own and lose all the comforts he currently enjoys.Plausibility of the story apart, I've seen the movie three times and each time I found it equally laugh-out-loud funny - a very successful combination of well-written dialogues and very good performances by the three lead actors (especially Sabine Azema and Andre Dussolier who are playing the two parents).

This film is hilarious--I saw it just today in Germany (in French with German subtitles). The first part goes into broad comedy, with the parents scheming to find ways to get their son to leave the nest. This film is just as much about the parents--even more--than the son.i noticed that someone else commented about the Asian aspects of the film. At first, it really doesn't make sense, except to show Tanguy's fascination with the country, and almost as a goal (for the parents)--have him go to Peking as soon as possible. By the end, it's wonderful because there is a subtle comparison (that the audience must make) about the family situation. That is--the Chinese filial responsibility, love, and respect--and yes, there were three generations living under one roof. And in the Guetz household--all three generations have, at one point or another, lived under the same roof. That's just one way of looking at it. If you see it and go in with that idea of comparing cultural aspects of families, then maybe that would make better sense.

Tanguy made me laugh even though my understanding of French is far from perfect. The plot is simple - life in his parents Paris apartment is so pleasant Tanguy a post grad student is still there at 28 years old but his parents secretly want him out!Sabine Azema (Tanguys mother) was so funny that she really made the film for me. Don't miss it if you like to laugh!