Coco is a 2009 French comedy film written by, directed by and starring Gad Elmaleh, based off a character from a sketch in his stand-up comedy show La Vie normale.
Simon "Coco" Bensoussan (Elmaleh) is a wealthy Maghrebi Jewish businessman who moved to France. After 15 years of financial success due to his invention of a new type of sparkling water, he decides to throw an enormous bar mitzvah celebration for his son, Samuel (Nicolas Jouxtel). Determined that the celebration will be the most fantastic event of the year, Coco alienates his entire family as he plans for the event.
Not to be confused with the Pixar film. Nothing to do with Coco Chanel either.
This film provides examples of the following tropes:
- Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: Coco's mother, sister and aunt lack manners since they're a Nouveau Riche family. Agathe's very Catholic bourgeois parents and the minister he invited find this out during the party at the beginning. Though Coco himself lacks manners/class to a lesser extent, and that doesn't seem to bother him much.
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: When he invites everyone from the first party to his son's bar mitzvah party, Coco mentions that he wants them to invite everyone they know — their family, their friends, their pals, random folks in the street... and even their enemies.
- Big Fancy House: Coco's mansion is huge. Even the bedrooms are huge (and garishly decorated).
- Conspicuous Consumption: Coco exhibits his wealth with gaudy and garish clothes, multiple Porsche cars, fancy parties with Champagne fountains, a tacky family portrait in Grant Wood style, his Big Fancy House with huge rooms etc. And, of course, the biggest bar mitzvah ever that he projects.
- Cool Car: Coco has a garage full of Porsche cars.
- Gilligan Cut: Before the party at the beginning, Coco's wife Agathe tells him to dress "sober" (simple). Cut to the party, he's now wearing a garish blazer.
- Good Parents: Coco is a loving father to his children.
- Gratuitous English: Lots of English words are used within Coco's business. Himself uses a few at the party.
- Jewish Mother: Coco's mother is quite invasive and can't shut up about her son at the first party.
- Played for Drama: The scenes of Coco pinning his Legion of Honor on his late father's portrait and reassuring his daughter when she can't sleep because she had a nightmare are not played for laughs at all.
- Shiksa Goddess: Coco's wife Agathe is not Jewish, her parents are Catholic bourgeois.
- Shout-Out: Max has an idea of name for the new product of Coco's brand, "Fretty Woman". He even hums the song.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: After the party that followed him receiving the French Legion of Honor, Coco goes to the portrait of his late father and pins the award on it in reverence.