Here in the U.S., where the movies that win Oscars are dependably those in which someone, at some point, dies tragically, the word "farce" comes across as almost dismissive.
The French film Aprés Vous, however, is very much a farce, and very much worth taking seriously as an example of what good, light filmmaking can be. The script is literate but far from self-important, and the acting—with the stellar Auteuil and Garcia doing the honors—is nuanced in support of a broad comic concept: A kindhearted waiter named Antoine (Auteuil) saves the life of a lovelorn, suicidal stranger, Louis (Garcia), and thereafter feels responsible for Louis' happiness. The harder Antoine tries to fix Louis' life, the messier his own life becomes—and then he meets the woman of Louis' broken dreams (Kiberlain) and everything gets worse.
The plot twists, springing from the dunderheadedness of two likable protagonists, can be annoying, but the whole enterprise is executed with style and good nature: You'll be rooting for the characters to get a clue, but it's quite clear that the filmmakers had one from the start.