Spoilers for this entire review
Do not read if you have not seen the show yet on Netflix
I binged watched the entire first season of Huge in France in two days. The name Huge in France reminded me of the Song Big In Japan by Alphaville. The show is about a French comedian named Gad Elmaleh aka GAD. The character is based on a real person. Gad really has a son who is a model and he really is famous in France. He does observational comedy similar to Jerry Seinfeld, but he’s not funny due to that his timing is off and his delivery is poor. Perhaps his material is also weak. There is one short scene of him doing stand up near the end of the series. I did not see anything either profound or interesting in his English Language Set.
Clearly the humor is lost in translation or France is starving for comedy. Maybe the stage was set for me not to like Gad’s comedy by watching the earlier scene of him having sex with a groupie who looked underage. I had no idea what a young girl would see in him in a man who looks 65. He would have to be as funny as John Belushi to merit this kind of worship. I was shocked to find out his real age. Wikipedia list him as being born in 1971. What he will look like at 65 will not be pretty.
Scott Keiji Takeda gives a chilling performance as Brian Kurihara. Brian Kurihara goes from being a charming loser who lives in his car to sinister plotter. It turns out he is being paid by Gad’s manager to try to bring Gad back to Paris. He does not live in car, and he’s a smart wheeler and dealer. The manager explains that he needs Gad to continue to work in Paris so he can continue to collect his 10 percent cut of Gad’s earnings to Gad’s rival Jason Alan Ross.
The funniest part of the entire show was Matthew Del Negro as Jason Alan Ross who forgets his devotion to his family while attempting to get into character to play the role of Marco. After losing everything he decides to commit suicide by taking pills. As he lays dying the phone rings. Its Fox who wants to cast him as Marco, but unfortunately, he dies never realizing his ultimate goal of playing Marco. This spoke to me of the large number of talented actors in Los Angeles who never make it because they are never cast in the right role. This is why people call the City Of Angels heartless and cruel. I would like to see a second season of Huge in France with a plot twist that has Jason Alan Ross survive his suicide attempt because a maid comes into the hotel room at the last minute and is able to summon help. But, if not this just speaks to my stance against suicide by people who still could turn around their lives.
A quote from an article in The New York Times from 2015 shows why Gad is obnoxious in America.
“Although he regularly sold out arenas in France, here he will be playing to small rooms of Americans who may not be aware of his overseas fame, a change he seems to have embraced. ‘It’s like if a woman falls in love with you without knowing you have money or you’re famous,’ he said, repeating a friend’s description. ‘I love that.’ “
His over confidence off putting, and he would be well advised to try humility.
Macy Makes Magic 