What have we all done to the Good Lord?, hell and Lady Nation (critic)

Third part of a franchise running out of steam, which arrives this weekend on free-to-air television.

Claude and Marie Verneuil will soon be celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. For this occasion, their four daughters decide to organize a big surprise party in the family home in Chinon and to invite the parents of each of the sons-in-law for a few days. Claude and Marie will have to welcome Rachid's parents, David, Chao and Charles under their roof: this “family” stay promises to be eventful.

Released in spring 2022, the third comedy in the saga What have we done to the Good Lord? disappointed First at its output. However, it is likely to do well this Sunday, during its first unencrypted broadcast on TF1.

The channel sees things big, because after this event programming, it will offer at 11 p.m. a documentary looking back on the crazy success of the first opus, which, with 12 million spectators already ten years agowas entitled to essential suites always designed by Philippe de Chauveron and worn by Christian Clavier, Chantal Lauby, Frédérique Bel, Elodie Fontan, Medi Sadoun, Frédéric Chau, Noom Diawara… Titled What have they all done to the good Lord?he details his behind-the-scenes production based on interviews with the entire team, as well as images from the various shoots.

Here is our review.

Christian Clavier: “I have always loved interpreting French people”

After a first sequel that was under-performing three years ago which should have alerted its authors to an imminent crash, the “ Good God » returns with a third part taking as a pretext the 40th anniversary of Claude and Marie Verneuil. Their daughters decide to organize a huge fiesta in the large family home in Chinon, and to invite the parents of each of the sons-in-law (Why? We will never know). Unsurprisingly, the comic codes and mechanisms remain strictly the same, namely a mixture of stereotypes and ordinary racism. But this time nothing makes sense. The characters seem to get angry for no good reason and the film lurches from one artificial quarrel – and reconciliation, rest assured – to another. It would be difficult to cite a vaguely funny scene: nothing works in these senseless shouting matches and forced cohabitation. So we have to invent additional adventures which also fall flat: Ségolène (Émilie Caen) reinvents herself as a contemporary artist but everyone hates what she does; a German gallery owner turns out to be in love with Mother Verneuil; Ary Abittan launches into the production of inflatable yurts (no pay off at the “valve”, except that it will be necessary to draw lots which of the parents will sleep in them)…

Even the casting no longer seems to believe it, everyone plays like a telenovela, with the exception of Christian Clavier and Chantal Lauby (but the duo is as poorly served in dialogue as the others). In short, the franchise is wrung out. Good timing: us too.

What have we all done to the good Lord?

Christian Clavier: “Many people find it complicated to interview me”