it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

I saw a review from a Dane and I can only agree. Like in Denmark it's always shown on SVT here in Sweden on every New Year's Eve. It happens that I miss "Ring, klocka, ring" (a tradition that this poem is read by some famous Swedish actor from Skansen in Stockholm at midnight that day), but I never ever miss Dinner for One. Even if the number of times I've seen it is now is close to 40, I never get tired of it. In my opinion is it the best, funny short movie that ever is done together with The Plank and Mr. H Is Dead. The acting is superb and the story is funny, even if it's a simple one, or just maybe because it's so simple. And I'm certain, there will be no New Year if I don't see it. :)

The poster who compared "Dinner For One" to the candies yams on Thanksgiving comes very close to the truth of the success of "Dinner For One". The other poster who brags about the sophisticated British sense of humor doesn't seem to know that bragging with one's own sense of humor only shows that person's lack of it. Watching "Dinner For One" on New Year's Eve in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands and some more European countries is a tradition and at least in Germany you have lots of dialect versions and parodies of it. "Dinner For One" may not be the greatest comedy piece on earth but it surely has its qualities, mostly butler James's absolute loyalty toward Miss Sophie which causes him year after year to act as her four late friends which seem quite different characters. This elderly man seems fully aware of the consequences of his part in this story from the very start and he hates it. His loyalty and his being caught in this tradition ("Same procedure as every year") make him a kind of tragic figure, especially when in the end you get aware that poor old James, who's already dead drunk, after dinner in Miss Sophie's bedroom may have to do the work of four men again ("Well, I'll do my very best").I give it 7 and next year I'll watch it again.

I hadn't heard of this short film a couple of hours ago, then there was an item on BBC Radio Four about how just about everybody in Germany watched it every New Years Eve. None of the British contributors found it remotely amusing but they did say it was on YouTube and that it was only ten minutes long... given that information I had to check it out for myself! Having seen it I'm surprised that it is considered a classic anywhere but equally it wasn't that bad either. The plot is simple; the elderly Miss Sophie is hosting a dinner party for her four friends... the joke is that none of them are present! As the dinner progresses James the butler serves each course to Miss Sophie then pours drinks for everybody and takes the part of each person in turn to return Miss Sophie's toasts with inevitable results.There are chuckles to be had as Freddie Frinton's James gets increasingly drunk although however the gag about him tripping over the tiger skin rug is rather spoilt by the fact that he tripped over it before he'd touched a drop! The rather suggestive ending was clearly meant to be funny but just seemed creepy to me. This was interesting to watch as a curiosity but it certainly won't become a tradition for me.I have since learnt that there are two versions made the same year with the same cast; this is the Swiss version; there is also a longer German version with a German narration, presumably that is the version they watch!

Ingredients: - 1 elderly lady, celebrating her 90th birthday - 1 old butler - 4 friends, passed away a long time agoWhat you get: - a fancy dinner party for 5, including the various refreshments that usually accompany the various courses - same procedure as last year, miss Sophie?? -Same procedure as every year James!!Which part is the best?? Oh, I don't really know is it the part where James mimics the guests?? Is it the anticipation will he or won't he trip over the tigers head?? (I ain't telling!!) Or is it the surprise at the end....Usually I am already in tears from laughter half way, and then it gets even better