I?ll never forget the day my father brought it home. I mean, I can understand mom?s distaste for such a pet, however domesticated it was, but who could have ever suspected such unbound horror from this cute little animal.... more » Through its gaze my younger brother found the courage to declare his homo-sexuality to our family ? whether he believed it to be true or not. At first this didn't seem to cause much concern, until my mother tried to "convert" him back by forcing her own sexual impulses on him. I, on the other hand, ended up a suicidal paraplegic dominatrix who tried to seduce my father before his twisted admiration for the rat changed him too, literally. Watching it just sit in it?s cage, minding it's own business, it was outlandish to suggest that this feeble little animal was the source behind the demise of my entire family, but it was. Unbeknownst to any of us, our new pet had powers beyond your wildest dreams.« less
"This film is about the breakdown of the bourgeois family. It is very indebted to the films of Pedro Almodovar and Luis Bunuel. The head of the house brings home at rat. As a result, everyone including the maid, starts acting out their latent desires. S&M, suicide and incest are the rules of the day. Eventually the family realizes that they don't need the rat as they have all been liberated by it and are now free. It becomes apparent that Dad is the rat they need to get rid of. Who needs him? All he does is sit around and read the paper and allow everyone to do whatever they please. It is interesting and some of the sex scenes are very explicit, but it is not for everyone."
How do you spell parody?
French Flic Fan | San Francisco | 01/06/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am amazed at many of the reviews here that take this film so seriously. The title itself should give away the intention to make a film that parodies sitcoms and soap operas.
In my view, it is not only successful at doing that, but plays with audience perceptions and biases in a very clever way and misleads us brilliantly. It is all in good fun and you should enjoy it too if you don't take it too seriously.
Ozon is probably the most original French director working today and it is well worth the time spent to see his other films. He is not that well known in France and this movie shocked some French friends that I watched it with, so question your own prejudices a bit and have fun with this."
In need of psychological help! I actually liked this film.
Greg Allup | Torrance, CA USA | 03/16/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Help! I am in serious need of psychological help. I actually enjoyed and liked this movie. This movie is very bizarre and plain downright wierd! I still don't see the logic or reason to the plot of this film. It is going to take further viewing for me to understand the concept of this film, if there is one?
It seems that the film revolves around the disfunctional force of a family that is torn apart after the arrival of a pet rat. There seems to be some morbid force in the rat that transcends into the atmosphere of the house that sends the helpless inhabitants into a sexual frenzy of bizarre events, incest, homosexuality, suicide, and pure sexual fetish escapade.
The entire film is filled with sexual imagery and sometimes crude scenes between the characters. The film is worthwhile just for the sheer entertainment of what is going to happen next among the characters. The plot as mentioned is twisted and sick, but that is what makes it so interesting. It is definitely a very unconventional film plot. You usally don't see plots like this in film, at least I never have.
I enjoyed the entire film for its bizarre and sexual content. I particularly ejoyed the scene in which sexy actor Stephane Rideau is dressed in fetish gear and the exposing of his genitals at full lift, if you know what I mean? It is actually because of Stephane Rideau that I saw this film because I enjoyed his performances in films like "Come Undone", and "Wild Reeds". Over all, the entire cast deserves credit for good performances in such an unusual and ludicrous film. "Sitcom" deserves a "10" for creativity."
Let's have more sitcoms like this one! Airing out the nucle
J. Holt | Seattle, WA USA | 06/23/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"A friend presented this to me -- I had no idea what to expect. If you're reading my review of this item and know little else, devote yourself to my review -- it's best you know as little about the film as possible.
Without giving away the story, I will tell you: this is not your average "sitcom" --> it's a black comedy, the likes of which reminds me of Miike Takashi's "Happiness of the Karakuris" (probably a good bet if you've seen one, thinking about the other). "Sitcom" does so many loopy, funny things with its normal French family (ha) that I was nearly jumping out of my seat going "You'd never see that in an American film!" "No way!!!" "Oh brother!" There are many gut-wrenching laughs to be had here.
This film constantly defies our expectations, twist after twist. On one level, it is very light, parodic fare; on another level, it says a lot of about our subconscious.
Done on a minimal budget, it relies on brilliant characterizations, writing and direction. "Sitcom" is a breath of fresh air."
An undoubtedly disturbing, but clever movie
Nicholas Y. B. Wong | HONG KONG, HONG KONG Hong Kong | 04/16/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Digusting and disturbing are probably the words that come out from you after you have watched the movie. Yet, it does not mean that it is bad. Sitcom is a very clever movie indeed. This movie's humour lies on who should exist, the sexually 'normal'? or the sexually 'indecent'? The climax of the paterfamilias killing the whole family is followed by the anti-climax of the family killing the indifferent father figure. Are they killing the rat or their father? We should think about it. The dialogues and plot are entertaining, but at the same time, also pathetic as they reveal the deep isolation among members in a dysfunctional middle-class family."