studioAT I don't watch a lot of foreign films. This is probably one of the few I've seen, let alone reviewed.I take comfort then in the fact that this is a good one to see.Full of funny observations on life and friendship, this is a lovely almost 'Odd Couple' style film that raises a few smiles along the way as it mixes humour and heart.I'd say try and find a copy online or on DVD, as it was a surprisingly enjoyable film.

morrison-dylan-fan Whilst looking round for easy-going French Comedy titles,I stumbled on a Comedy starring François Hollande's "mistress" Julie Gayet!,which led to me getting ready to meet my friend.The plot:Going to a dinner with art dealing business partner Catherine, François tells a story of going to a funeral where only a few people turned up.Picking up his comment,Catherine says that she thinks no one would attend his funeral,(what a class act!) due to François not having any friends. Wanting to push things a bit,Catherine challenges François to a bet,where he must introduce her to his best friend,or she gets to take a valuable vase of his.After accepting the offer, François starts looking round for a "new" best friend.View on the film:Keeping the mood light and sweet with gliding tracking shots,co- writer/ (along with Patrice Leconte and Jérôme Tonnerre) director Patrice Leconte & cinematographer Jean-Marie Dreujou sweep along François's search for a "best friend" with wide shots that allow one liners to dart across the screen. Surprisingly leaving out any romance in the movie,the screenplay by Leconte/Dazat and Tonnerre instead takes the quirky buddy Comedy route,with the dialogue between François & Bruno cleverly being balanced to keep the Comedy sparks lit,whilst also moving their friendship forward.Despite going a bit left-field with the game show final,the writers do largely keep the title on its feet,by making Bruno and François's very funny conversations in Bruno's cab be a sweet mix and match of off- beat and natural. Unexpectedly not being the romantic lead, Julie Gayet gives a very good performance as Catherine,with Gayet's sass allowing Catherine to keep François busy on his toes. Looking everywhere for a pal, Daniel Auteuil gives a great performance as François,thanks to Auteuil making François look ruffled at ever attempt he makes to get a friend,whilst Dany Boon shines in a heartfelt performance as Bruno,who meets (My) his best friend.

bandw François (Daniel Auteuil) is a successful antique dealer, in business with his partner Catherine (Julie Gayet). At a birthday party the topic is broached that François has no friends. He becomes defensive about it and says that he does have friends. Catherine is dubious and bets him that within ten days he cannot prove to her that he has a best friend. If Catherine wins the bet, François will have to give over his interest in an expensive urn. That is the premise that sets the rest of the movie in motion. François contacts old acquaintances, thinking that they might attest to being a good friend, but to no avail. And so on.There are a couple of major flaws in this story. First off, either you have a close friend or you don't and, if you don't, you are not going to find one in ten days. Secondly, Auteuil, in appearance and behavior, simply cannot play a person high enough on the a**hole scale to be as friendless as he is presented to be. But, there would not be a movie this lighthearted if François is alone and rejected in the end, so coincidence has him meeting a rather sociable taxi driver, Bruno; from there things progress to the inevitable ending with some speed bumps thrown in along the way. The efforts for a feel-good ending border on fantasy. But the whole affair is agreeable enough, a strong point being a good cast. I particularly liked Julie Gayet. And, if you do want something a little deeper out of this, you can examine your own situation vis-a-vis friends. Can you distinguish between good friends, acquaintances, associates, people you see often? Do you have any relatives that you consider friends? Do you have an obvious best friend who is definitely more than a good friend? What does having a best friend mean to you? Stretching the definition of "best," do you have more than one friend you would put in the category of best friend? Does the whole concept of categorizing friends something you have thought about, or do you even reject that very idea?

ianlouisiana "Mon Meilleur Ami" combines the exploration of innocence and gregariousness of "Amelie" with the depiction of obsessive/compulsive behaviour as exhibited in "Rain Man" and tries to present the result as a light Gallic comedy,but,unfortunately,it doesn't quite bring it off. Taxi driver Bouley and antiques dealer Lacoste are at opposite ends of the spectrum,one cynical,misanthropic,money-oriented,the other naive, a free spirit who lives across the road from his parents - maybe a contradiction but not an impossibility - and obsessed with "facts" to the extent that he is apt to turn every conversation into a one man seminar.The plot device that brings these men together comprises of telling the audience directly that Lacoste has no friends and allowing the audience to realise that for all his affability and apparent outgoing personality,Bouley has no friends either. The movie concerns itself with charting their relationship in a "Boy meets boy,boy loses boy,boy gets back with boy" sort of way. Unfortunately,for a film that clearly wants to appear sophisticated it is rather too transparent and the last 20 minutes or so drag it down to TV soap level,negating the good work done by messrs Auteil and Boon. Because of the charm of the principals I wanted to like "Mon Meilleur Ami",from the start but I'm afraid it failed to live up to its credentials.