It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

A good entertaining movie! Good movie, do not a comedy and parody, not just a film about drug addicts and irresponsible people. Film about the cynicism of our time on the venality of all. With the offer to see the world differently. The depth of the fall into the abyss of immorality. There is black humor and is not normative lexicon, as well as elements of eroticism and a lot of blood. The world of advertising so is business. The ending is so generally pleasantly surprised. Such an end, but as it turned out is not the end. Frankly I do not understand people who write something like "wasting time", etc. Movies must be different! And do not worry on the "worst film of the book." Just look!

Jan Kounen's adaptation of Frédéric Beigbeder's bestseller has, to put it in wiki lingo, multiple issues. First, it commits the deadly sin of literature adaptations: excessive off-the-screen narration by the main character Octave, an abusive, drug-addicted advertisement creative. There's a lot of plot development which is never on-screen, and the narrator tries to do exactly what he blames the advertisement business for: lead us astray.That's the second weak point of this film: by following the main character's viewpoint, it invests advertisement with almost god-like power. However, studies in the field (as one's own living experience) do not confirm a definite impact of advertisement on consumer choice. If you are aware of this, and especially if you are a woman, and most especially if you are a homemaker, you may find the constant bickering on the ease of manipulating (female) minds rather off-topic and sexist. To be fair, this irritating aspect is faithful to the novel.But to conclude with the third and major flaw of the film: the stereotypes don't allow for any social statement. If larger-than-life characters keep dishing it out against society and each other, where is the social comment? And if it's a drama, why not focus on the main events - Octave's falling out with his job and lifestyle, and his incapability to admit his feelings to the only woman he's ever loved? Instead, the viewer is being bombarded with F/X and heavy visual leanings on Spike Jonze, the Coen Brothers and Terry Gilliam, leading more or less nowhere.The sad thing is: when there's no talk and no abuse, this is actually excellent stuff. A wordless 'alternative ending' really does what the rest of the film was only gibbering about: deliver an accurate summary on how the wish to make one's life less twisted will ultimately remain a (death) wish for the 'civilized' man. More of such imagery, and this would have been a masterpiece.

This movie was made like a giant advertising with very rhythmic effects and fast moving pictures. At least, it will keep the eye entertained during the whole movie but there's more in it. It describes in a fun way what everybody knows is a sad world. Drugs, sex parties, late work hours, pretentious people, and meetings with stupid people, this is the way it works in the advertising industry. It's a very funny criticism of advertising and the way it's made. I feared it would not do justice to Beigbeder's excellent book but in fact it's quite good.Most of all, Jean Dujardin is very good in his role. He could be one of those mens you see working at Publicis on the champs Elysees ! Some people may not like the movie because there is a lot of sex and drug taking inside the movie. Yet, it's a good social depiction of this world. Don't go with the children's (the rating is not very explicit about the real content of the film) and enjoy yourself.

The first question that comes to mind when you ear about this project is : what the hell is Jan Kounen doing as a director of such a movie ? Jan Kounen was a french talented and trendy director of the 90's, just as his friend Matthieu Kassovitz. He released "Doberman" when Kasso brought "La Haine" on french screens. But after this violent/cartoon movie, Jan Kounen had discovered Shamanism while directing his experimental trip out of (the blues) "Blueberry" and then made a documentary about inner journey and other substantial trips. "99 Francs", on the other hand is an auto-fiction by the french intellectual bobo Beigbeider, that narrates his experience as a publicist in a satirical and fashionable style. So, my question was : what's the link between this director and this book and what the hell is Jan Kounen doing as a director of such a movie ?First, from a factual point of view, Kounen and the main and incredibly credible actor of the movie, Jean Dujardin, have them-self been publicists, and decided to take the book as a starting point, and to go on completely different directions. Beigbeder, who appears several times in the movie, agreed to this betrayal. But this critic of the advertising world isn't the best part of the movie, and only seems to be a support for more experimental journey that only drugs can give.The character of the movie inhales himself several time a gargantuesque quantity of cocaine, unknown pills and other drugs, that makes him have gigantic visions that the movie emphases. A large parts of the movie is just a description of absurd visions, that links the cartoon and trash violence of "Doberman" with the experimental form of "Bluebberry" in the funny and cool package of a critic of advertising and a large public comedy. The best part of "99 Francs" is to me an improbable escape to the tropical forest of "Bluebberry", with Jan 'Pydjhaman' Kounen like guide. If Yan Kounen defines is movie as the "Yogourt Fight Club", the film is also near from Gilliam's more experimental and crazy works.