Main Cast: Audrey Tautou, Gad Elmaleh, Marie-Christine Adam, Vernon Dobtcheff, Jacques Spiesser, Annelise Hesme
Release Year: 2006
Country: FR
Run Time: 104 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
A woman who has never had much trouble choosing between love or money tries to teach a man the tricks of the trade in this sly romantic comedy. Irène (Audrey Tautou) is an attractive thirtysomething woman who lives a comfortable life by taking up with older and very wealthy men. Irène is serving as arm candy for Jacques (Vernon Dobtcheff), who is twice her age and quite rich; Jacques takes Irène on a vacation to a resort in the French Riviera for her birthday, where she meets Jean (Gad Elmaleh), a handsome bartender at the hotel who works a variety of odd jobs to keep himself afloat. While Jacques spends Irène's birthday sound asleep, she ends up enjoying a romantic evening with Jean, until she discovers he's broke. A year later, Jacques and Irène return to the resort, and Jean discovers he still carries a torch for her. Irène is not so interested until Jacques decides he's had enough of her and breaks off their relationship; suddenly forced to fend for herself, Irène turns to Jean for help. Jean, meanwhile, has learned that Madeleine (Marie-Christine Adam), a handsome and very well-to-do widow in her sixties, has her eye on him and wishes to make Jean her kept man. Jean asks Irène to give him a crash course in the fine art of being a gigolo, while Irène tries to get back in the game by taking up with Gilles (Jacques Spiesser). Slowly but surely, Irène and Jean realize how much they care for one another, but can they get learn to live the good life without money? ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Jean de Coninck - Man With Cigar; Guillaume Verdier - Pool Waiter; Blandine Pelissier - Maid; Didier Brice - François; Jean-Michel Lahmi - Plastic Surgeon; Charlotte Vermeil - Woman with Chihuahua; Claudine Baschet - Woman with Mastiff; Philippe Vendan-Borin - Waiter at Biarritz Restaurant; Bernard Bourdeau - Jean's Colleague at Biarritz; Frédéric Bocquet - Receptionist Monaco; Laurent Claret - Bartender at Biarritz
Credit
Alan Corno - Associate Producer, Alain Charbit - Casting, Virginie Montel - Costume Designer, Alan Corno - First Assistant Director, Pierre Salvadori - Director, Isabelle Devinck - Editor, Pascal Bonnet - Executive Producer, Pascal Bonnet - Line Producer, Camille Bazbaz - Composer (Music Score), Yves Fournier - Production Designer, Gilles Henry - Cinematographer, Philippe Martin - Producer, Yves Fournier - Set Designer, Joel Rangon - Sound/Sound Designer, Francois Maurel - Sound/Sound Designer, Christophe Winding - Sound/Sound Designer, Pierre Salvadori - Screenwriter, Benoît Graffin - Screenwriter
Jean (Gad Elmaleh), a shy waiter at a luxury hotel, pretends to be a millionaire and awakens the interest of Irène (Audrey Tautou), an adventurer who makes wealthy men pay for her bills. When Irène discovers who Jean really is, she escapes. However, Jean is in love and goes after her, finding her at Côte d'Azur. Pursuing her, he spends all the money to his name to pay for her presence, until he uses his final euro for "10 more seconds".
When she leaves him for richer men and he is left with a hotel bill he can't pay, he is picked up by a wealthy widow and assumes the lifestyle of the one he pursues. Now that they are "equals", she teaches him the tricks of gold-digging and he soon wheedles a 30,000 Euro watch from his supporter. Jean and Irène steal away from their patrons at every chance they get, and eventually are caught kissing by Irène's patron.
Furious, he leaves her with nothing but a sarong and the swim suit she is wearing. Jean sells his watch to buy her a week's stay in their hotel, a gorgeous evening gown, and the invitation to a party they both attend. Jean's patron is at first furious with his selling the watch, but is calmed and pleased when he gives her a beautiful pair of earrings he also bought with the money. He proves himself a skillful gold digger when she later gives him a scooter.
Irène shows up at the party and sees her original patron with another woman, and decides to steal him back with Jean's help. Even though his patron dumps him for it, Jean pretends to be a wealthy prince and goes up to his room with the woman Irène's patron is with, and Irène takes her old man up to his room across from Jean's. Hoping her patron will catch his woman with Jean, she at first tries to direct his attention to the window, but finds herself caught seeing Jean with another woman. She runs to his room, leaving the wealthy man and her only chance at a glamorous lifestyle, and tells Jean of her feelings. The movie ends as they ride off on his scooter to Italy, Irène barefoot.
Western critics gave the film strong positive reviews. As of May 1, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 84% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 45 reviews.[1]Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 68 out of 100, based on 8 reviews.[3]
