Customer Reviews

The Valet ( La Doublure ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - France ]

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Genuinely funny all the way through. I DON"T watch films described as "hilarious", "zany" as I always find them, in my opinon, stupid. I like real people and real situations. This movie is genuinely funny and the characters are true to themselves. This movie has warm humor. Don't miss it.

Francois Pignon, director Francis Veber's quintessential bourgeois French character, makes yet another appearance in the 2007 film "The Valet." In four different films, four actors who have nothing physically in common portray the same character type. Pignon may suffer from a benign Weltschmerz living a routine existence in a one-track job. However, when external circumstances stress his system his natural ability to persevere activates and he comes out fighting for his life at full throttle. Think Daniel Auteuil as Pignon in "The Closet" as he battles a forced resignation from his place of employment by erroneously claiming he is homosexual.

In this latest manifestation, cool blue/green eyed actor Gad Elmaleh plays Pignon to perfection. His very inconspicuousness renders him conspicuous and sets in motion a madcap set of events that continually amuse in a formulaic class struggle that can be categorized as fluff but nevertheless works.

In "The Valet," Pignon is inadvertently positioned as the middleman between billionaire captain of industry Pierre Levasseur (Daniel Auteuil) and his mistress of two years, the breathtakingly lovely media-darling Elena, (Alice Taglioni). Supermodel Elena has given money-bags Pierre the expected divorce-your-wife ultimatum and he cleverly stalls with the help of his lawyer, M.Foix, a despicably jaded stereotype the creation of which Moliere would have been proud. Unfortunately for Levasseur, the proverbial stuff hits the fan when he is seen photographed with Elena in a national tabloid by his wife, Christine, the formidably intelligent beauty, Kristin Scott Thomas, who also happens to own 60% of the Lavasseur businesses. Serendipitously, Pierre's salvation comes in the form of a third person appearing in the photo---the unassuming Pignon, car valet for an expensive Parisian restaurant by the Eiffel Tower which Veber uses stunningly to accentuate the class differences. Lawyer Foix circumvents a messy expensive divorce between the Levasseurs, putting Christine into a dubious holding pattern while arranging for Elena and Pignon to live together and appear in public as a valid yet ludicrous odd couple.

A multitude of wonderfully funny side stories ensue: we watch fellow valet and roommate, the hysterically doubtful Richard (Dany Boon), gap with open-mouth middle class wonder at Pignon's new-found success with the rich, famous and gorgeous Elena. Emilie, (played by pretty Virginie Ledoyen of "The Beach") who previously thought of Pignon as a brother figure, gives him a second more serious look and finds herself incredulously rethinking his marriage proposal when she spots him at a local café with the blonde bombshell. Equally enjoyable are Pignon's parents---the mother, adorably vindicated as her fantasy regarding her son's appeal to the opposite sex seems a definite reality, plays off the more grounded father, a supposed pneumonia patient who gives up his bed for his hypochondriac doctor. Meanwhile, private detectives, paid lackeys, goggle-eyed waiters and an annoyed maitre d' add to the mayhem. As the count of dumbfounded onlookers increases and reports riddled with incorrect information is relayed back to Pierre his paranoia builds proportionately as he begins to question the ersatz relationship that he put together himself.

Bottom line? Director Francis Veber's film tells a completely modern story using predictable antics from the classical playbook of the great masters of satire. A light-hearted class struggle of sorts, the rich and the famous versus the behind-the-scenes nobodies, "The Valet" satisfies like an airy profiterole with dark chocolate sauce. No heavy whipped-up philosophical or political messages (thank heaven) intended here, so don't expect any. Being able to predict the outcome of certain setup situations makes this visually pleasing film all the more delicious. Guys, take delight in Alice Taglioni, one of two of the most beautiful women I have seen in film this year ---the other being Aishwarya Rai of Mistress of Spices. Laugh and enjoy---don't be put off by the rather abrupt ending. Recommended.
Diana Faillace Von Behren
"reneofc"

There is a scene in "The Lion in Winter" where Eleanor of Aquitaine is explaining the current royal machination and her son Geoffrey says: "I know. You know I know. I know you know I know. We know Henry knows, and Henry knows we know it." Geoffrey then offers a wicked smile and adds, "We're a knowledgeable family." I was remind of that line while watching "La Doublure" ("The Valet"), because in this 2006 French farce pretty much everybody knows what is going on, with the ironic exception of the guy who set all this nonsense into motion. In that regard writer-director Francis Veber's film is not a typical French farce where things are played broadly. As French farces go, "La Doublure" is rather sedate, which I thought actually worked for the film. Farce tends to make everybody look stupid, but Veber clearly decides to make one character the butt of this film.

That would be Pierre Lavasseur (Daniel Auteuil, "Un Coeur en Hiver"), the chief executive of a company with labor problems who is having an affair with a top model, Elena Simonsen (Alice Taglioni, "Grande Ecole"). Lavasseur's problems begin with a paparazzi takes a photograph that appears on the front page of a tabloid showing him with Elena. His wife, Christine (Kristin Scott Thomas, "The English Patient"), demands an explanation and all Levasseur can come up with is the lame excuse that he is just an innocent bystander, that he has no idea who the woman is, and that must have been with the other guy in the photograph. That would be Francois Pignon (Gad Elmaleh, "Gad Elmaleh Lautre C'est Moi"), who makes his modest living by parking cars, hence the film's title. Elena gives Levassuer an ultimatum to either divorce his wife and marry her, or forget about seeing her ever again. A divorce is problematic for Levassuer because his wife happens to be the majority stockholder in his company. Then his laywer, Maitre Foix (Richard Berry), suggests that the solution to all of these problems is to make the lie the truth by finding the innocent bystander in the photography and paying him to pretend he is Elena's lover.

Francois is in love with Emilie (Virginia Ledoyen, "The Beach"), who runs the local bookstore, but she thinks of him more like a brother. Besides, she is drowning in debt and does not need to marry somebody who has less money than she does. So when Foix shows up and makes the offer to Francois, he immediately demands a specific amount of money equal to that of Emilie's debts. Elena demands money herself: 20 million euros to go into a trust. If Levasseur divorces his wife, he gets the money back. So it is that Elena moves in with Francois, while both Levasseur and his wife have the faux couple spied upon.

Without even trying hard you can figure out the sort of things that are going to happen next, especially once Emilie sees Francois and Elena together, not to mention the possibilities when Francois and Elena have to sleep in a bed together. But "La Doublure" forgoes most of those commonplaces and pretty much fast-forwards through the rest. Francois and Elena quickly become friends and she is more than willing to help him with his romance of Emilie. Your assumption is that everybody has to maintain the masquerade with comedic results, but instead Veber makes sure that everybody is in on what is going on. Christine knows that what is happening with Francois and Elena is fake and they know that she knows it. In fact, the fun here is that the only one who does not know that everybody knows is Levasseur. The resolution is also relatively low-keyed, but by this point it is clearly Veber running against form. That might cut against the grain for those who embrace the full-fledged French farce, but I liked the change of pace enough to round up on "La Doublure" in the end.

I don't know that you can say that the French do farce BETTER than anyone else, but they do do it different, and VIVE Ca! There's nothing startlingly original about LA DOUBLURE (THE VALET): you kinda know where it's going most of the time, but then again, you probably won't complain about going along for the ride either. Et la difference? Well, the film is unabashedly slight. Farce does not have to be so da*n LOUD as many of us on this side of the lac seem to think. LA DOUBLURE proceeds at its own gentle, genial pace, and provides the audience with, really, just enough laughs along the way. You may not find it a real knee-slapper, but you will get a few chuckles out of this charmer--and lots of wry smiles.

Many of the cast members were unfamiliar to me, although I've had a mad crush on Virginie Ledoyen since I saw her in 8 WOMEN a few years ago. And Kristin Scott Thomas is as elegant and as watchable as ever. I guess those claims about her mastery of the French language were all true, but who knew she could project that unique brand of upper class French hautiness so stunningly? Gad Elmaleh has the title role, and there hasn't been as winning a sad sack on screen since, oh, I dunno, Buster Keaton maybe. And Alice Traglioni is stunning--and likable--as the supermodel Elena.

So anyway, (Defense de spoiler!)this is just another one of those shlub-of-a-guy-gets-paid-to-briefly-do-a-sham-shackup-with-Paris'-top-model-to-cover-up-her-actual-affair-with-a-top-CEO stories. And we all know the outcome. The shlub and the top model are going to fall in love. No? That's not it. Wait, wait! OK, the shlub will attempt to make his real true love jealous and eventually win her heart. WHEW, got it.
OK, OK, there's only so many ways the movie can go. But it does have so much heart, and quite a bit of flair--to say nothing of an appealing cast and, yes, just a hint of social commentary. (This is France, after all, somebody's gotta go on strike: and class distinctions gotta be acknowledged and played upon for all they're worth).

It's fluff, but it's intelligent fluff. Vas-y. Enjoy!

"Valet" constitutes a well rounded and poignant comedy that deals with those unsaid and veiled infidelities of a wealthy executive supported by the solid financial aid of his wife. On the other hand, we have the other side of the coin: a looser who makes his living as valet in a luxurious hotel in front of the Eiffel Tower who has been rejected buy his everlasting love.

The twist of fate will make both men have to share a little agreement that involves the top model of the moment (the alluring Alice Taglioni).

So, here you have the main ingredients of this entangled and funny movie that ends with an acidic finale.

French language film with subtitles. Rich billionaire corporate CEO has a 2 year relationship with a head-turning supermodel mistress (Alice Taglioni) - the supermodel threatens to leave after hearing his last promise of divorce from his wife (who owns controlling interest over his companies). They have it out on the street in front of paparazzi and picture is broadcast all over the tabloids. A valet happens to be standing next to them and Billionaire argues to his wife that girl is with valet and not him. Billionaire then tries to buy off his supermodel friend and the valet to pretend they are in a relationship. The valet lives with his best friend in cramped quarters with very little money or promise - he is in love with his high school sweetheart who doesn't see him in a romantic way. Next thing you know, he is in a relationship with one of France's most recognizable beauties.

* Daniel Auteuil and Kristin Scott Thomas (his wife) are terrific. The rest of the cast is weaker. And Taglioni lives up to her supermodel billing.

* Light and warm-hearted,

* Funny

* Predictable

* Colorful characters

* Not a brain teaser this one - fun, little mindless film

* Abrupt (and silly) ending

The featherweight French comedy, "The Valet," harkens back to those more halcyon days when frenetic pacing and farcical misunderstandings often made for comic gold. And while "The Valet" may not be exactly golden (it`s barely gold-plated, if you want to know the absolute truth), it's still a moderately diverting trifle - provided you don't ask more of it than it can reasonably deliver, that is.

The protagonist is Francois Pignon (Gad Elmaleh), a struggling, average-looking chap, who works as a parking valet at a high-end restaurant located right across the street from the Eiffel Tower. Francois' simple life is turned upside down when, through a fluke of fate, he is hired to play the lover of a French supermodel (Alice Taglioni) whose long-running affair with a married billionaire CEO (Daniel Auteuil) has recently come to light in the Paris tabloids. This leads to a great deal of complications for all involved, including Francois' pretty young love interest (Virginie Ledoyen) who, unfortunately, has not been let in on the ruse.

For all its undeniable Gallic charms, "The Valet," written and directed by Francis Veber, is probably funnier in concept than it is in execution. It delivers its two best jokes right upfront - a wonderfully inventive visual gag that introduces the main character, and a clever routine about a doctor who is more sick than his patients - but that's all within the first ten minutes, and the movie never reaches those comic heights again. Still, if you're partial to a sitcom-level scenario in which people run around from one contrived set-up and telegraphed sight-gag to the next - all against colorful Parisienne backdrops - then this might well be the movie for you. If not, you might want to skip it altogether and seek out something more to your liking.

This was perhaps the most Hollywood-like French comedy that I've ever seen. You could, in fact, substitute English-speaking actors, not change the style in the slightest, and remake it scene for scene as an American film. I'm not saying that this is necessarily a good or bad thing. Just an observation.

Although I thought the ending of the film a bit weak -- well, OK, very weak, as if they couldn't decide how to end it, so that they just slapped something on -- overall this was a quite entertaining film. The plot is simple. A billionaire industrialist, whose wife is the majority stockholder in his company, is accidentally photographed with his supermodel girlfriend. To attempt to cover up his affair he pays both the girlfriend and a man who was caught in the photo just as he just happened to be walking past them to pretend to be romantically involved. The man, who works as a parking valet, agrees to it in order to get the money to cover the debts of the woman he loves and who has just turned down his proposal of marriage. Typical shenanigans ensue.

This is not a great comedy, but they get enough right that it is a lot of fun up until the end, when it flickers out. Apart from Daniel Auteuil and Kristin Scott Thomas (I don't speak French so I don't know how good her French is, but it sounded pretty good to my untrained ear) I was not terribly familiar with the cast, but everyone was quite good. Some of the best roles were by supporting players, like Pascal, the absurdly suave cell phone dealer and the doctor, who receives more medical treatment than his patients. There were a lot of great moments. I like it when Émilie, the woman who turned down François Pignon's proposal near the beginning, exclaims over the phone that she doesn't even want to think about François, bends down from her bed to hang up the phone, whose base is on the floor, surrounded by magazines with François's supposed supermodel girlfriend on the cover.

All in all this is a nice, fun movie. Also it is probably one of the more accessible French comedies for Americans unaccustomed to foreign films. Everything in the film will feel familiar and easy to digest.

The Valet (aka La Doublure, which translates much more appropriately as The Stand-In) is another one of Francis Veber's glossy and generally well cast comedies where the strength of the premise and the filmmaker's good nature somehow seem to make it not matter so much that the film itself isn't particularly funny. When tycoon Daniel Auteuil is photographed in the street with his supermodel mistress Alice Taglioni, to pevent his wife (Kristen Scott Thomas) - the majority shareholder in his company - from divorcing and bankrupting him, he claims that her boyfriend is actually a passer-by in the photo, Gad Elmaleh's valet at a swank restaurant (the latest in a long line of Veber sadsacks called Francois Pignon). Since his girlfriend Virginie Ledoyen has turned down his proposal of marriage citing the loan her new bookshop is paying off, he agrees to the deception if Auteuil will pay it off. But while Elmaleh suddenly becomes a minor celebrity and the envy of his friends because of his new girlfriend, Scott Thomas isn't fooled for a moment but decides to play along with the deception until she can get enough evidence to hang her errant husband out to dry...

So, no shortage of comic potential. Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond could have had a field day with the plot, but Veber seems to like his characters too much to really let rip at their expense - even Elmaleh's vain yuppie mobile phone salesman rival for Ledoyen's hand gets off pretty lightly. Too often the film seems to let its best chances slip through the cracks. Indeed, there is even a very curious gap in the film's narrative after Elmaleh agrees to the deception where it literally looks as if a reel is missing: we never see him and Taglioni meet but suddenly jump ahead rather jarringly after she's already settled-in at his apartment. Unfortunately the central couple are rather outshone because, aside from being likeable, they're not really given enough to do, with most of the laughs coming from the characters on the sidelines. There's some comic mileage from Dany Boon's reactions to his flatmate's sudden change in fortunes and from Richard Berry's straight faced lawyer, but the biggest laughs come from Michel Aumont's ageing Doctor who always ends up being treated by his patients on his house calls. Still, while it's not up to the standards of The Closet/La Placard, Le Diner de Cons or La Chevre, it's a distinct improvement over Tas-Toi.

The 2.35:1 widescreen transfer is quite good, though the second line of subtitles is slightly cropped off at the bottom on widescreen TVs. Still, Sony have put together a good extras package - an English-language commentary by Veber and a 45-minute French making-of documentary as well as scores of trailers for other Sony foreign films, though not, curiously enough, for The Valet itself.

This is a film you will watch only once. It proves that the French will laugh at anything.

Within the first 10 minutes, you know the ending of this movie. As another reviewer said, it is very predictable.

Basic Plot: Homely looking guy (the valet) wants to marry homely looking girl (book store owner), but she doesn't love him. He is more of a brother to her. Until -- she see's him dating a Super Model. Now she wants him. Talk about shallow. The Super Model is the mistress of a married billionaire, who has promised her that he will divorce his wife and marry her. The wife suspects he has a mistress, and to throw her off the scent, he has the Super Model date the valet -- actually live with him. This does not fool the wife. Etc, etc, etc. No surprises, no chuckles, only yawns.

The script has way too many holes in it, even for a French "farce". Three stars for the French scenery.