Bon Voyage - A Frenchman in Korea - DVD

Movie: Divorced chef Stéphane (Alain Chabat) may always find the right spice for the dishes he serves in his restaurant. But his life has been sadly lacking the right spice for quite some time. That changes when he meets Korean girl Soo (Doona Bae) via Instagram. The two exchange messages regularly, growing closer and closer. When Soo writes him that the cherry blossom season is starting in Seoul and that she would like to experience this together with him, Stéphane unceremoniously gets on the next plane to South Korea. But what awaits him at the Seoul airport is not what he had hoped for.

"Bon Voyage - A Frenchman in Korea" is laid-back feel-good cinema at its best. Director Eric Lartigau, who also scored a real surprise hit at the box office in Germany in 2015 with "Understand the Béliers?", tells a very charming story that takes a slightly different course after about twenty minutes than you initially expect. From there, the comedy takes a path towards a finale that thankfully doesn't force the ending that the initial situation suggests. Without giving too much away, it must be said that Lartigau has not directed a romance, but rather a self-discovery comedy that scores with pleasantly understated humor, lovable characters, and very nice character moments.

Alain Chabat is simply wonderful as a chef bored with life and looking for new fire in his life. He is joined by a host of endearing characters, all of whom come across as very authentic - from police officers to a Korean chef to an airport cleaner. Lartigau manages very well to create characters and moments that you as a viewer really enjoy spending time with. So the film also becomes a light short vacation for the soul - and that just feels good!

At the same time, the film is also a commentary on social media on the internet. Not only about the fact that you can never know what a person you only know online is like in real life. But also about the absurd way in which some people gain popularity on the net. This may be a bit exaggerated here, but it's very funny because it's really not far from reality. In the end - and Lartigau underlines this pleasantly subtle but effective - only real life and the people who love you not only in the form of a "Like" counts.

Sure, the wheel is not reinvented here and many a cliché is also used. But the bottom line is that this movie just makes you smile and lets you forget about everyday life for about 90 minutes. And for that alone, there is clearly a: Absolutely worth seeing!

Image + Sound: Whether it's the beautiful landscape shots or the very special atmosphere at the Seoul airport, the DVD's good picture quality captures the film's visual merits very well. Powerful colors, a fairly high level of sharpness and coherent contrasts leave a very positive overall impression. Due to the genre, the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is rather restrained. However, in addition to the dialogue, the soundtrack and an atmospheric soundscape (especially in the scenes that take place at the airport) ensure that the tonal action is not only directional, but also on the surround channels. Good!

Extras: The only extra is the trailer. Too bad!

Conclusion: "Bon Voyage - A Frenchman in Korea" is a charming feel-good film that tells its really nice story with understated humor, beautiful images and charming characters. The DVD presents the comedy in good picture and sound quality, but offers no bonus material. Still, if you like low-key culture clash comedies and just want to switch off for an hour and a half, this is the one for you. Absolutely recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp