The Valet (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
'The Valet' is a French comedy written & directed by Francis Veber. Pierre Levasseur (Daniel Auteuil, of Cache), a wealthy CEO, is photographed with his mistress, Elena (Alice Taglioni), a supermodel. In an attempt to salvage his marriage to Christine (Kristin Scott Thomas), he tries to convince her that Elena is not his lover, but that of Francois Pignon (Gad Elmaleh), a lowly valet who was passing by & ended up in the tabloid photograph. Pierre will try to avoid a messy divorce by coming up with one outrageous lie/scenario after the next. This is a funny French comedy about infidelity. It's insignificant, unoriginal, but hard not to like.
Pierre is a billionaire, but he can't have it all. Not only is he a money whore & power-hungry, but he also wants to keep his wife & see Elena on the side. He can't have his cake & eat it, too. Christine obviously thinks the worst after having seen the picture. So Pierre has to find a way to appease her. Francois is trying to win-over Emilie (Virginie Ledoyen). Emilie loves him, but she's in debt & Francois lacks financial stability. Some $$ in his pocket would help, and Pierre is willing to pay him if he pretends to be dating Elena. Elena is desperate for Pierre to leave his wife for her. Put in a sticky spot (knowing his wife has 60% shareholding of his business), Pierre has to think fast. He's already giving Francois $$ to help him get out of a tough spot.
Can Pierre convince them to live together & pretend to be a couple? Elena demands 20 million Euros to go along with his plan (as insurance of his love). If the plan holds, things may work out for everybody. Pierre hopes Christine will fall for this charade. Francois & his pal (a very funny Dany Boon) cannot believe that a supermodel is living with him. Things start out rocky, but they eventually become good friends. Meanwhile, a sly Christine is ALL over Pierre's plan and is milking it for her benefit. Emilie is now jealous that Francois is dating a supermodel. But after Elena confronts Emilie & explains what's going on, all things become right in the world & justice is served. When the truth comes out, what lengths will Christine go to play with Pierre's feeble mind and drive him crazier than ever?
There is a fresh, satisfying amount of cheeky twists & missteps that occur in this old-fashioned movie. If you love to hate the rich, then catch this film. 'The Valet' may be French, but the same situations can arise in every country in the world (tale of friendship, love, perils of being too rich). The French dialogue is astutely witty & has good comedic-timing. Kristin Scott Thomas offers a cold, smooth performance as the wife who has a one-up on his deceiving husband. In fact, all 3 women have smart, conniving roles here, you don't see it often. The film is predictable, but enjoyable. I only wish it were longer than 83 minutes; it 'really' should have been. The 'farce' is forced, so to speak. 'The Valet' entertains, offers a cheerful ending, & then drizzles away. But it's amusing enough to take a crack at.
Pierre is a billionaire, but he can't have it all. Not only is he a money whore & power-hungry, but he also wants to keep his wife & see Elena on the side. He can't have his cake & eat it, too. Christine obviously thinks the worst after having seen the picture. So Pierre has to find a way to appease her. Francois is trying to win-over Emilie (Virginie Ledoyen). Emilie loves him, but she's in debt & Francois lacks financial stability. Some $$ in his pocket would help, and Pierre is willing to pay him if he pretends to be dating Elena. Elena is desperate for Pierre to leave his wife for her. Put in a sticky spot (knowing his wife has 60% shareholding of his business), Pierre has to think fast. He's already giving Francois $$ to help him get out of a tough spot.
Can Pierre convince them to live together & pretend to be a couple? Elena demands 20 million Euros to go along with his plan (as insurance of his love). If the plan holds, things may work out for everybody. Pierre hopes Christine will fall for this charade. Francois & his pal (a very funny Dany Boon) cannot believe that a supermodel is living with him. Things start out rocky, but they eventually become good friends. Meanwhile, a sly Christine is ALL over Pierre's plan and is milking it for her benefit. Emilie is now jealous that Francois is dating a supermodel. But after Elena confronts Emilie & explains what's going on, all things become right in the world & justice is served. When the truth comes out, what lengths will Christine go to play with Pierre's feeble mind and drive him crazier than ever?
There is a fresh, satisfying amount of cheeky twists & missteps that occur in this old-fashioned movie. If you love to hate the rich, then catch this film. 'The Valet' may be French, but the same situations can arise in every country in the world (tale of friendship, love, perils of being too rich). The French dialogue is astutely witty & has good comedic-timing. Kristin Scott Thomas offers a cold, smooth performance as the wife who has a one-up on his deceiving husband. In fact, all 3 women have smart, conniving roles here, you don't see it often. The film is predictable, but enjoyable. I only wish it were longer than 83 minutes; it 'really' should have been. The 'farce' is forced, so to speak. 'The Valet' entertains, offers a cheerful ending, & then drizzles away. But it's amusing enough to take a crack at.