''French Fried Vacation 2'' (''Les Bronzés font du ski'') is a classic 1979 French comedy directed by

Patrice Leconte Patrice Leconte (; born 12 November 1947) is a French film director, actor, comic strip writer, and screenwriter. Life and career Leconte grew up in Tours, and began making little amateur films at 15. He went to Paris in 1967 and studied at Insti ...

. It is a sequel to ''

Les Bronzés ''French Fried Vacation'' (french: Les Bronzés, link=no, ) is a cult French comedy film directed by Patrice Leconte. The film satirizes life resorts such as Club Med. It is one of many films by the French comedy group Le Splendid. Josiane Bala ...

'' (1978), and it was followed by '' Les Bronzés 3 : Amis pour la vie'' (2006).

Plot

The characters from the first movie get together again, this time in the ski resort of

Val d'Isère Val may refer to: Val-a Film * ''Val'' (film), an American documentary about Val Kilmer, directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo Military equipment * Aichi D3A, a Japanese World War II dive bomber codenamed "Val" by the Allies * AS Val, a Sov ...

where Jérôme, Gigi and Popeye work. Jérôme and Gigi are now married: Gigi owns a pancake house while Jérôme has a medical practice. Nathalie and Bernard, reconciled and fairly "

nouveaux riches ''Nouveau riche'' (; ) is a term used, usually in a derogatory way, to describe those whose wealth has been acquired within their own generation, rather than by familial inheritance. The equivalent English term is the "new rich" or "new money" ( ...

", are owners of a timeshare. Jean-Claude is still desperately trying to seduce any girl that he sees, and still fails pathetically. Christiane has an affair with Marius, a married man who is also much older than her. Popeye is now far less cocksure: after his countless adulterous flings, he is now humiliated by his wife who openly cheats on him. Moreover, while he claims to be the manager of a ski shop, it soon becomes clear that his wife and her lover are the ones in charge as they constantly rub his nose in his mistakes, question his integrity and bluntly override his decisions in front of his friends. During a backcountry skiing trip, the group gets lost. They spend the night in a

mountain hut A mountain hut is a building located high in the mountains, generally accessible only by foot, intended to provide food and shelter to mountaineers, climbers and hikers. Mountain huts are usually operated by an Alpine Club or some organization d ...

but are unable to get any rest as they are kept awake by the noises of three horny Italian skiers with whom they must share the place. They leave the next morning but still cannot find their way back to the ski resort. Their situation becomes increasingly dire and tensions rise but they are finally rescued by two rugged mountain dwellers, who take them back to their spartan

chalet A chalet (pronounced in British English; in American English usually ), also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house, typical of the Alpine region in Europe. It is made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof and wide, well-suppo ...

. There, the men give the group some "traditional" food and drinks. First, a mixture of old cheese rinds with worms ("for the meat"), soaked in fat and

wood alcohol Methanol (also called methyl alcohol and wood spirit, amongst other names) is an organic chemical and the simplest aliphatic alcohol, with the formula C H3 O H (a methyl group linked to a hydroxyl group, often abbreviated as MeOH). It is a lig ...

. Then, a liquor made with shallot and garlic juice ("because shallot alone would be too bland") and a desiccated toad, which Jérome describes as strong enough to unclog toilets while his friends gasp for air or collapse under the table, in a parody of the famous drinking scene in

Les Tontons Flingueurs ''Les Tontons flingueurs'' ('' en, Crooks in Clover'', also known as ''Monsieur Gangster'', literally ''Gun-toting Uncles'') is a 1963 French-Italian-West German crime comedy film with French dialogue, directed by Georges Lautner. It is an adapt ...

. They finally make it back to the resort, which was literally just around the corner from their rescuers' dwelling, and soon go their separate ways as the holidays come to an end.

Cast and roles

Michel Blanc Michel Blanc (born 16 April 1952) is a French actor, writer and director. He is noted for his roles of losers and hypochondriacs. He is frequently associated with Le Splendid, which he co-founded, along with Thierry Lhermitte, Josiane Balasko, ...

- Jean-Claude Dusse *

Marie-Anne Chazel Marie-Anne France Jacqueline Chazel (born 19 September 1951) is a French actress, screenwriter and director, who has been active in both film and television since 1974. Biography Chazel was born to actress Louba Guertchikoff (birth name Lou ...

- Gigi *

Christian Clavier Christian Jean-Marie Clavier (; born 6 May 1952) is a French actor, screenwriter, film producer and director. He became widely popular after starring in two hit comedy series: Patrice Leconte's ''Les Bronzés'' and ''Les Visiteurs'' directed by Je ...

- Jérôme *

Gérard Jugnot Gérard Jugnot (; born 4 May 1951) is a French actor, film director, screenwriter and film producer. Jugnot was one of the founders of the comedy ''troupe'' Le Splendid in the 1970s, along with, among others, his high-school friends Christian Cl ...

- Bernard Morin *

Josiane Balasko Josiane Balasko (born Josiane Balašković; 15 April 1950) is a French actress, writer, and director. She has been nominated seven times for César Awards, and won twice. Career One of Balasko's most recognized roles among English speakers is ...

- Nathalie Morin *

Thierry Lhermitte Thierry Lhermitte (; born 24 November 1952) is a French actor, director, writer and producer, best known for his comedic roles. He was a founder of the comedy troupe ''Le Splendid'' in the 1970s, along with, among others, Christian Clavier, Gérar ...

- Popeye *

Dominique Lavanant Dominique Lavanant (born 24 May 1944) is a César Award-winning French film and theatrical actress. She is known for her comedy skills especially with posh and distinguished characters like Rosalind Russell's; characters often defined by the ...

- Christiane *

Maurice Chevit Maurice Chevit (31 October 1923 – 2 July 2012) was a French actor. Maurice Chevit made his theatrical début just after the Second World War, and made his first screen appearance in 1946 in René Clément's film ''Le Père tranquille''. In ...

- Marius *

Bruno Moynot Bruno Moynot (born 20 December 1950, in Bois-Colombes, Hauts-de-Seine, France ) is a French actor and theatre director. Part of the famous French comedy group Le Splendid, he is best known for his roles in Patrice Leconte's ''Les Bronzés'' ...

- Gilbert

References

External links

IMDb entry
* 1979 films 1979 comedy films French comedy films Films directed by Patrice Leconte Skiing films Films set in the Alps 1970s French-language films 1970s French films {{1970s-France-film-stub