Behind this pretty provocative statement, I must start by admitting I don't quite see Gad Elmaleh as a perfect "equivalent" of Jerry Seinfeld, in that the latter is extremely sober, almost aristocratic, utterly dedicated to words, whereas the former adds a physical and mimic dimension to his act.
Besides the virtuosity in the scrutiny & rendering of human observations that these two share, here is another reason why I tend to put both of them in the same "category": although I laugh rather easily, I've become increasingly critical and choosy towards stand-up comedians, thanks to (or because of) decades of legendary entertainers like the hilarious Bill Cosby, Lenny Bruce or, in France, Coluche, Thierry Le Luron, Raymond Devos or more recently the other word-genius Vincent Roca, or else the very funny Dany Boon.
This being said, my two favorite shows of living comedians are probably Jerry Seinfeld's "Live on Broadway" ("I'm telling you for the last time") and Gad Elmaleh's "L'autre c'est moi" (followed, not very far away, by Bill Cosby's "Himself" and Robin Williams' "Live on Broadway").
Gad Elmaleh's mastery of words, rhythm, silences, space, faces
is at its pinnacle. This is merely prodigious. The situations are common-everyday-life-shots, as it's the use in stand-up comedy, but the subtlety & the keenness of the observations that give birth to the sketches is extraordinary.
Last but not least, Gad Elmaleh keeps all along an elegance that definitely enthrones him amongst the finest humorists. No wonder he became "Chevalier des Arts & Lettres" (a high distinction in the French cultural milieu) in March 2006. Because not only you die laughing during his show but you feel more clever afterwards. You might even be a bit more confident in humanity I know I was!...
At this point you certainly got the idea: this is definitely a MUST-WATCH!!!
