The low-budget French comedy, set in a camp for the disabled, became a “social phenomenon” in France, beating out Hollywood blockbusters such as “Dune 2” and the “Mad Max” spin-off “Furiosa.”
The latest box office figures released Wednesday showed “A Little Something Extra” had sold 5.8 million tickets.
It’s the latest example of a film becoming a blockbuster outside Paris, where snobbish moviegoers tend to prefer arthouse comedies to gross-out fare.
But five weeks after its release, even Parisians are now flocking to see this lighthearted tale of a bank robber who hides out at a holiday camp, disguised as a disabled man.
Every week, the film easily outearns new Hollywood releases such as The Fall Guy and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which have a production budget of several times the €6.2 million.
Experts say “A Little Something Extra,” starring and directed by stand-up comedian Altus (who only has one name), resonates at a time when the country is embroiled in a fierce European election campaign.
“The political atmosphere in France is very tense right now and people are looking for something to bring them back together,” Eric Marty of box office analytics firm ComScore told AFP.
He described it as a “social phenomenon” and said the film, which features several actors with disabilities, was inclusive without being bogged down in increasingly unpopular left-wing rhetoric about representation.
“The film has an idea of inclusion, but it’s real. It’s not a lecture. It’s simple, it’s funny, it’s moving and it’s respectful,” Marti said.
Some of the biggest successes to come out of France in recent years have been about disability.
“The Belliers” is a story about a deaf family and was remade into the Oscar-winning “Coda,” which has become one of the biggest hits of the last decade so far.
An even bigger hit was the 2011 film “The Intouchables,” about a quadriplegic aristocrat and his live-in caregiver (played by “Lupin” star Omar Sy), which sold about 19.5 million tickets.
“A Little Something Extra” benefits from long-term investment in French cinema, Marty said.
“But in every country where cinemas have recovered from the pandemic, that’s where local films have done well,” he said.
“France may have a few more than other countries. It shows that we’re not dependent on the latest American blockbuster.”
er/fg