Que les gros salaires lèvent le doigt!

Teambuilding wasn't a real phenomenon back in 1982, as it is (mis)used today to create friendliness among staff (as if you aren't too much together at work already). A great Swiss film has been made about bringing colleagues together in one place: L'invitation in 1973. Que les salaires levent le doigt isn't up to par.

The reason this film doesn't work like it should is the haphazard collection of story lines. None of them actually makes much sense or evokes anything else than indifference from the viewer. Tcheky Karyo being in love with his colleague Solange; Daniel Auteuil as Lum, the supervisor of the company, but having no idea how to deal with women; his obtrusive father (Michel Piccoli); Jean Poiret as the boss, but who can't even manage his own daughters properly. And there are a lot of other people with their own problems.

The storyline that did SOMETHING, was the awkward relationship between the sexual aggressive Nathalie (Jeanne Lallemand) and the socially awkward Lum. He steps quite ferocious on her foot and she challenges him during a diner. Interesting duel. But then she starts to make fun of him and this storyline is also dead.

I did not get the thought behind this film. None of the actors seem to be really comfortable with the screenplay either. As a result the film descends slowly in obscurity. Is it bad? No, it is just too average for its own good, accompanied by a very uninspired soundtrack. I rate it 5/10. Only interesting to see the acting of a young Karyo or Auteuil, or for the fans of Piccoli (whose part seems superfluous to me), or Jeanne Lallemand, who was great as the daughter with loose morals, but only acted in two other films.