Tonight, I watched "The Valet", a French comedy directed by Francois Veber. (The French title is"La Doublure", which I think means "The Stand-In".) It's a joyous little romp where a schlub of a valet winds up having to live with a supermodel so her rich, married boyfriend's wife won't find out that he's cheating on her. Complications ensue.
This is one of the few films where I wish it'd been longer. running time is quoted as 85 minutes, but that's including titles and credits. It's really just barely 80 minutes and moves like it's been shot from a cannon, but I think a couple of comedic possibilities were missed. For example, when the valet is approached to be part of the deal, there are a few lines along the lines of "You've got to be kidding me" and "Where's the camera?" But then they cut away and it's all decided. That could have been a perfect riff along the lines of "Who's on first?"
I think of that because I watched an episode of BBT where Sheldon and Amy Foster-Fowler did that with such straight faces and neat timing, I nearly died. I also threw a moment of that into LD, where Daniel's trying to explain the goings-on to the sheriff with Van's help and it confuses things even more.
Anyway...what's great about this comedy is, the schlubby valet is actually played by a schlubby-looking actor, so when these amazingly gorgeous supermodels come walking up to him, the joke is a hundred times funnier. It'd be like if, in an American remake, the valet is played by Jonah Hill or Zach Galifianakis instead of Ryan Gosling or Bradley Cooper (which is probably how it would actually be cast).
There are also moments of weight that are chucked aside, like when the supermodel begins questioning her situation. Or when the valet believes the girl he loves is lost to him, forever. But still, it was pleasurable souffle, which I topped off with 2 more episodes of BBT.
Now you want to hear what's crazy? I'm already contemplating beginning work on Jake's book, "The Vanishing of Owen Taylor". I just finish a magnum opus, and don't even want to take any serious time off to recharge the batteries.
Workaholic, much?
This is one of the few films where I wish it'd been longer. running time is quoted as 85 minutes, but that's including titles and credits. It's really just barely 80 minutes and moves like it's been shot from a cannon, but I think a couple of comedic possibilities were missed. For example, when the valet is approached to be part of the deal, there are a few lines along the lines of "You've got to be kidding me" and "Where's the camera?" But then they cut away and it's all decided. That could have been a perfect riff along the lines of "Who's on first?"
I think of that because I watched an episode of BBT where Sheldon and Amy Foster-Fowler did that with such straight faces and neat timing, I nearly died. I also threw a moment of that into LD, where Daniel's trying to explain the goings-on to the sheriff with Van's help and it confuses things even more.
Anyway...what's great about this comedy is, the schlubby valet is actually played by a schlubby-looking actor, so when these amazingly gorgeous supermodels come walking up to him, the joke is a hundred times funnier. It'd be like if, in an American remake, the valet is played by Jonah Hill or Zach Galifianakis instead of Ryan Gosling or Bradley Cooper (which is probably how it would actually be cast).
There are also moments of weight that are chucked aside, like when the supermodel begins questioning her situation. Or when the valet believes the girl he loves is lost to him, forever. But still, it was pleasurable souffle, which I topped off with 2 more episodes of BBT.
Now you want to hear what's crazy? I'm already contemplating beginning work on Jake's book, "The Vanishing of Owen Taylor". I just finish a magnum opus, and don't even want to take any serious time off to recharge the batteries.
Workaholic, much?
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