“Priceless”: French comedy has that certain . . . j’ne sais quois
Release date: 28 March 2008
By Jerilyn Covert
“Priceless,” in two words, is delightfully screwball. It is, after all, a French comedy, which means you can count on a fair amount of slapstick and farce, not to mention mistaken identities, frivolous scenarios, and a central love story between two, seemingly mismatched leads; imagine a Judd Apatow film, only more suggestively sexual, and less overtly so. A beautiful, ambitious young woman with a desire for rich men–a gold digger, as we’d call her here in the States–mistakes the hotel’s bartender for one of its wealthy guests. Instead of coming clean, he keeps up the charade for a one-night romp. But with no money, how can he afford to provide for his lady in the manner she’s become accustomed to? Turns out, he does have a secret resource–and it’s the same one that this movie possesses. After all, as his leading lady points out, nothing is more irresistible than charm.
Audrey Tautou, whom American audiences will know from the French “Amelie” and, more recently, “The Da Vinci Code,” stars as the lovely money-monger, Irene, and Gad Elmaleh is Jean, the middle-class victim of Irene’s overpriced affections. The film, which in French is titled “Hors de prix,” was first released in France in 2006, but made its U.S. premiere about a month-and-a-half ago. Pierre Salvadori directs this 104-minute tale of the enchanting seductress and her chance run-in with a middling hotel waiter, who–thanks to some quick thinking and about half a dozen cocktails–misleads her into believing he’s a wealthy suitor. By the time she discovers the truth, he’s too smitten simply to let her go. So, taking a French leave from work, he tracks her down and tries to win her back. Ah, l’amour fou. After she books an expensive hotel room for the two of them and spends his entire life’s savings within half a day, he’s faced with a new problem: How in the world can he possibly pay?
The film, rated PG-13, is mostly just a good time, but could be interpreted, also, as a commentary on economic class. It does show us, in stark contrast, the lifestyle differences between the rich and the not-so-rich. And yet, it’s the latter–namely Jean–who seem better equipped to handle the twists and turns of love and life; and it is, after all, true love that triumphs out over money in the end. On one hand, Jean, as an employee at a swanky hotel, is clearly out of his element. He’s shy, polite, and accommodating. He’s the guy who always offers prompt service with a polite smile and who agrees to take on his coworker’s shifts even when he doesn’t want to. He spends most of his time working, while the rich can afford the luxury of free time. At the same time, he’s adept at his job. As Irene watches him fix her a cocktail in one scene, she remarks that she likes a man with skills. And as the movie progresses, Jean manages to adapt to the high life with relative ease–with the help of a few tips from Irene, of course.
In his portrayal, Elmaleh is sufficiently awkward and average. By contrast, Tautou is alluring and adventurous. For reasons that should be fairly obvious, their characters make an odd pair: She’s all riches and glamour; he’s all googley eyes and romance. But together, they each discover new aspects of themselves they didn’t know existed. Irene is morally dubious and preys on rich men for a living, but when she’s around Jean, she’s often playful, genuine, and affectionate, and she even betrays glimmers of remorse at times. In turn, he transforms from working-class to protégé and she helps him learn how to wield the secret weapon of her trade–charm.And ultimately, that’s precisely why you will enjoy this movie–not for its originality or its surprises, but rather its undeniable charm. The scenarios are charming, Tautou is charming, even the laughs, though they probably won’t knock you out of your seat or anything, are charming. Overall, the film has a certain jouissance that easily won me over–and might win you over, too. It’s a quality, after all, that you can’t put a price tag on, and one that’s very hard to resist.