THE VALET

If the name of French writer/director Francis Veber doesn’t sound familiar, perhaps you’ll recognize the names of a few of the American versions of his hit French comedies. First and foremost, Veber was responsible for the earliest (non-Elaine May) version of The Birdcage based on his original script for La Cage aux Folles (both I and II), as well as The Toy, Father’s Day, Buddy, Buddy, The Man with One Red Shoe, and Three Fugitives (the last also directed by Veber).

His brand of farce definitely loses in translation, and the more discerning filmgoer should skip the American remakes and proceed directly to such superior originals as Le Chevre, Les Comperes, and Les Fugitifs (all available on DVD), often starring Veber’s favorite buddy team of Pierre Richard and Gerald Depardieu. Those films always featured his French version of the schlemiel--Francois Pignon (or sometimes Perrin)--played for years by Richard. Pignon/Perrin is a not-too-attractive guy, always at odds with women, his job, or just the world in general. More recently the role has been taken on by singer Patrick Bruel (Le Jaguar) and Daniel Auteuil (Le Placard/The Closet).

In his latest film, The Valet, Auteuil has graduated to the role of smarmy multimillionaire Pierre Lavasseur, in hot water when his wife and majority stock holder (Kristen Scott Thomas) sees a picture of her errant husband with his gorgeous mistress (Alice Taglioni). Enter Pignon, played this time by Moroccan comedian Gad Elmaleh, a cross between Steve Buscemi and Adrien Brody. He’s a mere valet who’s just broken up with his own girlfriend (Virginie Ledoyen), when his photo appears in a gossip-magazine shot of Lavasseur and his mistress. Richard Berry, another Veber veteran playing the millionaire’s lawyer, decides they must make Mme. Lavasseur believe the model is Pignon’s girlfriend. Pignon agrees for a fee, which he hopes will help his former girlfriend’s failing bookshop. But Lavasseur’s suspicious wife has the valet tailed 24/7, so the model must move in with Pignon. Hilarity should ensue, but hélas, it doesn’t!

Farce has to brim with breakneck comic situations, but Le Valet is thoroughly predictable and only mildly amusing. In fact, it feels a bit like a failed American remake--odd since according to Variety, the Farrelly Brothers (the closest America has to farceurs, another reason the French feel superior to us), are planning an American remake in 2008. They are also planning a remake of Veber’s Le Diner de Cons (The Dinner Game), which, rumor has it, has been offered to Borat’s Sasha Baron Cohen. Now that might be "v-e-r-r-r-y nice!"

                                                    Leslie (Hoban) Blake