Hollywood film made in French

Rating: 5/10 (12 August 2012)

This french film starts with a Dustin Hoffman look-alike actor being driven by a black driver (Omar Sy) who is fond of Earth, Wind and Fire music and has a swagger made popular by many a black Hollywood actors including Eddie Murphy. In the typical Hollywood fashion he comes from the wrong side of tracks (think of Murphy in Trading Places), but ends up living in a Paris mansion (again echoes of Trading Places) taking care of a quadriplegic (François Cluzet). Somehow he learns to take care of his patient and in fact becomes quite an accomplished male nurse. The transition is mildly amusing, and won't bother you if you checked your skepticism at the door before entering the movie theater. If you have any doubts about whether or not this film is in the genre called Hollywood fantasy, you have to see what our tough man with heart of gold does next. He decides to teach his boss how to be a good father and ultimately becomes cupid for his boss. The film plays on the obvious disparities between expectations and attitudes of the privileged and under classes in ways that are funny. If you wish to enjoy this film, please keep your expectations low and ignore the obvious visual and other tricks. One of the early scenes shows a row of shoes and socks of the candidates waiting to be interviewed for the nurse's job. As the camera pans, all candidates are wearing shiny shoes with clean socks, but one pair stand out for being dirty and incongruous. Of course, they belong to Omar Sy's character and he gets the job at this super-rich household. How fuuunny!! I predict that in two to three years there will be a Hollywood clone of this film with Dustin Hoffman and Chris Rock playing the main characters. And it will be a box office hit.