rowiko The film didn't have me rolling on the floor with laughter, but then again, perhaps it's not supposed to.Daniel Auteuil is brilliant and cast perfectly in the role of the billionaire CEO. He's probably my favourite French actor, and also here he doesn't disappoint.Overall, I enjoyed watching this film, although I'm not sure I would want a second viewing. It's enjoyable and does have its funny moments, but I wouldn't rank it as one of the best comedies I've seen, as I think there are better ones. But for anyone who wants a relaxing evening on the sofa with a glass of wine and something enjoyable to watch, there's no reason I couldn't recommend this film.

Rob This is a very good movie, not a masterpiece, but a very good one, even if, unfortunately, it's spoiled. I own the DVD, and every time I looked at it, I felt somehow unsatisfied, in the end, and I couldn't understand why, until finally I realized: this movie lacks a heart. It's cold, a perfect mechanism, but with no heart. It's been so carefully written and played, but the passion is not there. There's no real human being in there, only puppets without soul. And that's a real shame, because everything else works, in a way. The idea is good (altho not very believable), Paris looks marvelous, the gags are funny, and the choice of actors is great. But the final result is cold, self-centered, in a very modern-french-movie way. I would definitely suggest it for renting (at least it'll make you feel like you're living in Paris), but not to buy. One final note about Alice Taglioni: she's a unique example of an incredibly beautiful woman who can be funny. Among such great actors, she manages to escape the puppet mechanism and be human, wonderfully so. Alice, if you're reading this, marry me :)

gradyharp For centuries the French have had the market on light, elegant, stylish, fluffy and tasty comedy, both in the theater and on film. Unfortunately THE VALET (LA DOUBLURE) doesn't rise to those standards. Though written by Francis Veber, who gave us the 'La Cage Aux Folles' series and 'La Placard', seems to understand the genre as well as anyone, the script for this much-used story is bland and lacks the sparkle and inventiveness of Veber's successes.The tale is one of marital infidelity: a wealthy man Pierre (Daniel Auteuil) is married to elegant and intelligent Christine (Kristin Scott Thomas) and having an affair with top model Elena (Alice Taglioni) for two years. Elena is demanding Pierre divorce his wife or she will leave him and Pierre fears the financial repercussions of divorce. Enter a simpleton valet François Pignon (Gad Elmaleh) who is hopelessly in love with bookstore owner Émilie (Virginie Ledoyen), the daughter of his father's strange physician who is more concentrated on salvaging her business than on paying attention to François's romantic overtures. Accidentally François walks past Pierre and Elena on the street, is captured by the tabloids, and when Christine sees the picture the infidelity is questioned: Pierre seeks his lawyer's advice and the tow plot to have Elena live with François to foil Christine's suspicions. Of course the loser François and the gold digger Elena learn from their roles and the story grinds to a rather silly ending.The cast is excellent but just doesn't ignite sparks on the screen. We are left with characters for whom we have little sympathy, and where is comedy if we cannot find at least one player to support? It is a pleasure to see the beautiful Kristin Scott Thomas toss off a French role with such aplomb, but the talents of the others rarely rise above the mediocre - and that is amazing considering the quality of the cast. A disappointing film. Grady Harp

Sid Unrau This film is hilarious. The set up is a bit unbelievable, but the actors make it work - and mostly believably. The model in the film is refreshingly genuinely nice and not a caricature of a "supermodel." The depth of the main unwitting character, the valet himself, is a bit lacking - but hey, he is charming, as is the rest of the cast. Besides, since he is lovesick, perhaps his lack of depth is at least understandable. The feel of the movie is also quite uplifting - the bad guy loses in the end, and the good guys win. The ride is just fun, and filled with twists and turns, most of which the audience gets to be in on. The only character that was TOO shallow was the valet's girlfriend - she just didn't seem to be worth all the fuss, to me. I don't understand the PG-13 rating - it is not vulgar nor is there any nudity.