directed by Amanda Sthers
Friday has come, so I guess we all need a decent comedy to chill to. Today, I’ve got an adorable film coming from France, yet almost fully in English. We get to know Anne and Bob (Toni Collette & Harvey Keitel), a wealthy couple originally from the US, who are currently living in Paris. They are about to organise a dinner party for friends, which Anne specialises in, but nothing goes the way she planned. At the last moment before guests start arriving, the couple gets surprised by an unexpected visit by Bob’s son, Steven (Tom Hughes), who obviously joins their dinner. In order not to have an unlucky number of people at the table (13), Anne decides to find one more guest. Therefore, she asks one of her maids, Maria (Rossy de Palma), to pretend some fancy aristocrat from Spain. Maria’s task is to look rich, doesn’t speak much and just survive the dinner as a guest that will be quickly forgotten. Unfortunately, she gets noticed by David (Michael Smiley), a British aristocrat, who enjoys her company very much. So much that their relation doesn’t just end with the dinner. But still, Maria is a maid and her new friend doesn’t know about it, yet there’s a visible chemistry between those two. Will they manage to stay so close despite their differences? Especially since Anne is not thrilled about this situation, because, in the end, her friends might find out about her big lie. All that is for you to see. Personally, I relaxed a lot watching this film and I guess that’s the main point of comedies, isn’t it? I’m a huge fan of Toni Collette, so it’s always pure pleasure to see her on the screen. However, I think that Rossy de Palma gets the spotlight in this one. She’s fascinating as an actress and as her character, which makes you sympathise and cheer for Maria even more. Except a lot of funny gags and sometimes inappropriate jokes, it’s also a drama worth reflecting on. We get to see two different worlds, two different classes, that in fact are able to co-exist with each other without putting any labels on anyone, as long as they all have clean slates. I feel like sometimes we divide ourselves on purpose, missing out on meeting people with different backgrounds and perhaps more interesting stories to tell. What I liked the most about Maria is that she didn’t want to change at any point. She remained herself because she knew who she is and didn’t see any point in pretending anyone else. And that’s exactly what I wish you, dear readers. Enjoy the film and being yourselves, no matter what language you speak, where you come from or what your shoe size is.
My rating: 6.5/10
S.
I have nothing to watch 