Meet the house staff that shows no merci! Paul Rudd (Clueless, "Friends") and Romany Malco (The Tuxedo) star in this uniquely uproarious comedy of manners that delivers "fresh, spontaneous humor" (Variety)! When two Ameri... more »can half-brothersone white, one blackinherit a huge mansion abroad, they can't believe their luck especially when one of the live-in servants turns out to be the beautiful Isabelle (Sylvie Testud)! But when they discover that the estate is mired in debt and attempt to sell it to the highest bidder, the servants suddenly turn on them and sabotage every prospective sale! Can the beleaguered brothers survive this uprising? Or will their escalating battle for Isabelle's affections make them lose it all?« less
Charlene C. (mccoffield) from SOUTHLAKE, TX Reviewed on 10/19/2013...
Yes, the film quality is not very good, especially in the low light scenes. However, this can be ignored due to the enjoyably intricate nature of the plot. And yes, there is definitely an intricate, very purposeful plot, one that required the viewer to pay attention. In order to follow the plot in its entirity, I highly suggest making use of the English subtitles, unless you have no problem understanding French. Even though only about 10 percent of the film is spoken in French, that 10 percent is crucial to the plot.
As for the few bad reviews, excluding the mention of the relatively poor picture quality, they must be attributed to viewers who were expecting something comparable to The Forty Year Old Virgin - and why other reviewer have compared it to that film, I have no idea. This is not a stupid slap-stick comedy, it is more of an "art-festival-type" comedy of errors.
I thoroughly enjoyed the film, though I must admit that at times I had no idea where it was going. (Perhaps this was partly due to the ad-lib parts another reviewer mentioned.) I especially loved the ending - the concluding 7 minutes is what truly "made" the film. Glad I found this little gem of a film, which I had never heard of until I ran across it on this swap site.
Michelle S. (Chelly10s) from W HOLLYWOOD, CA Reviewed on 1/17/2011...
This is an independent film, so don't expect a big-budget type feature. Especially don't expect anything like "The 40 Year Old Virgin" because this is a very different type of movie.
Fans of Paul Rudd will not be disappointed in his charmingly goofy French and the character's naivete - something Rudd portrays well. The film is full of cute one-liners from him. Knowing that most of them were improvised makes them even more appealing.
I admit, the plot falls apart at the end (if it was ever really held together) but I didn't think it was a big deal because the story is really just a framework used to put these dynamic characters together.
If you enjoy independent films, this one is worth at least one watch.
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Patty P. (BookJools) from ELLICOTT CITY, MD Reviewed on 1/27/2010...
Once I found out that this movie dialogue was basically improvised - I HAD to watch it a second time, and that time, I enjoyed it much more. It touched my heart when I realized the spontaneity of the acting. If the audience knows a little French, the letter that Alex reads out loud to the kitchen staff is one of the most hilarious movie scenes since the "Harry Belafonte dance-along" scene in the BeetleJuice movie. There is a clever twist at the end and an even more unexpected conclusion. So this movie is not a scripted, polished piece - it is more like improvisational comedy with the barest plot outline given to the actors. They do an amazing job, but you have to watch the movie with a little understanding of context to fully enjoy it. I can see why it might easily become a cult classic in the MST3K style.
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Bobby D. (TheVertMan) from HAZARD, KY Reviewed on 1/14/2010...
Unbelievably crappy movie. Horrible quality to the film and even worse acting. The plot, the sets and the whole cast is just tired and useless when wrapped in this kind of package.
0 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Victor L. from STANTON, CA Reviewed on 5/17/2009...
This Movie is Unwatchable, when i saw the actors from the 40 year old virgin were going to be in it, i thought it would be great, maybe it is but it looks like they barrowed a camera from the high school, it sucks
3 of 5 member(s) found this review helpful.
Rose Marie D. (roe) from OVERLAND PARK, KS Reviewed on 9/27/2008...
Really, REALLY bad copy of this movie.
1 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
Funny
Justin M Kirby | ny | 02/15/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"i found this movie through my local library. i have to say it's a fun gem."
Surprisingly good bijou of a movie
Bill Leubrie | Seattle | 04/24/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I'd been told this was a "small" movie, and wasn't expecting a great deal, but was thoroughly entertained. The plot develops in surprising ways; and the characters seem appropriately off-balance throughout. I understand portions of the movie were improvised, which may account for this. If so, it's a thoroughly appropriate tactic. The only word of warning is that you may need some French to understand the entertaining way it's fractured in this movie, and the iron control the French characters must be exercising to control their faces in response. Rule of thumb: if you don't know what a bijou is, you might not get it.A fascinating exercise is to compare this movie with I Capture the Castle (2003), which develops the identical premise in a completely different way."