“Maison de Retraite” is that rare French comedy, a fizzer. Firstly it is a predictable tale: a young man fulfilling a community service requirement by working at a retirement village, switching from disdain to enjoyment, and battling on the side of an eclectic stable of residents. Absolutely no zing in the tired storyline. Kev Adams does a serviceable job in the starring role but seems miscast, and the ensemble roster of French actors playing the cliched residential group (including a dial-it-in role from Gerard Depardieu) is unable to transcend the woeful dialogue to provide any connection to the viewer. The banality of the villains, the car chase, and the ultimate plot “twists” is hard to credit. One to be avoided.
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