

For Pierre Brochant and his friends, Wednesday is “Idiots' Day”. The idea is simple: each person has to bring along an idiot. The one who brings the most spectacular idiot wins the prize. Tonight, Brochant is ecstatic. He has found a gem. The ultimate idiot, “A world champion idiot!”. What Brochant doesn’t know is that Pignon is a real jinx, a past master in the art of bringing on catastrophes...
Acting
Jacques Villeret's Pignon — devastating innocence, zero self-awareness, absolute perfection.
Writing
Veber's clockwork structure: every setup pays off, every lie compounds beautifully.
Direction
Single-location tension that keeps tightening until you can't breathe.

Director
Francis Veber
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Jacques Villeret was so associated with Pignon that 'pignonnerie' entered French slang for blundering foolishness. He reportedly hated being recognized only for this role.
The film spawned a disastrous 2010 American remake ('Dinner for Schmucks') that grossed $86 million but missed the original's moral razor — Veber's version lets the idiot win without becoming cruel itself.