Le Goût des Autres
21/11/15 Filed in: DVD
Another French film and another gentle comedy.
Castella is a rich but lonely business man. He is negotiating a deal that obviously exposes him to possible danger, so everywhere he goes he is accompanied by a bodyguard and his chauffeur. As a subplot said bodyguard and chauffeur become involved with a young woman in the local brasserie. The chauffeur having slept with her in the past, a fact he has completely forgotten when she reminds him of it. Meanwhile the bodyguard is far more worldly wise and soon forms a relationship with her.
Castella has also hired a 'sharp' college boy type as an assistant to help him with his 'big deal'. He rubs Castella up the wrong way while also suggesting to him that he should learn English to help in his business dealings.
Clara, an English teacher, is interviewed and promptly discounted, but a little later Castella comes across her again as an actress and is completely mesmerised by her performance in Racine's "Bérénice". From this point on he endeavours to meet her, breaking into her social circle, where he is politely ridiculed. Meanwhile his relationship with his wife, which had already become distant, is failing completely, her main emotional interest seeming to be her dog.
Castella is a rich but lonely business man. He is negotiating a deal that obviously exposes him to possible danger, so everywhere he goes he is accompanied by a bodyguard and his chauffeur. As a subplot said bodyguard and chauffeur become involved with a young woman in the local brasserie. The chauffeur having slept with her in the past, a fact he has completely forgotten when she reminds him of it. Meanwhile the bodyguard is far more worldly wise and soon forms a relationship with her.
Castella has also hired a 'sharp' college boy type as an assistant to help him with his 'big deal'. He rubs Castella up the wrong way while also suggesting to him that he should learn English to help in his business dealings.
Clara, an English teacher, is interviewed and promptly discounted, but a little later Castella comes across her again as an actress and is completely mesmerised by her performance in Racine's "Bérénice". From this point on he endeavours to meet her, breaking into her social circle, where he is politely ridiculed. Meanwhile his relationship with his wife, which had already become distant, is failing completely, her main emotional interest seeming to be her dog.
For his English homework he writes Clara a poem, expressing his fondness for her (she corrects the English!), but she says that she feels nothing for him. However, these experiences have mellowed him and meanwhile Clara is reassessing her life and comes to realise that Castella may have a place in it.
The French are very good at producing these human comedies that reflect real life. While the outcome may often be predictable they're completely unlike the formulaic RomComs that come out of the big American studios. Just to make the point, the critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes is 100% - you don't see that very often!
The French are very good at producing these human comedies that reflect real life. While the outcome may often be predictable they're completely unlike the formulaic RomComs that come out of the big American studios. Just to make the point, the critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes is 100% - you don't see that very often!