By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Francis Veber
Starring: DanielAuteuil | Gerard Depardieu | Thierry Lhermitte
Original language title: Le Placard
Country: france
Year: 2001
Running time: 100
IMDB: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0243493
Diane says: “Typical light French comedy–I laugh a lot in the first half, then get bored. I do have to say that Gerard is a great comic actor. 3 cats”
Esme says: “I only watched this because I was so enamoured of Daniel Auteil in THE WIDOW OF ST. PIERRE. He did not disappoint me–but overall I found it a light, charming French movie. Not a disappointment, not a surprise favorite. If you need a switch from the often painful (physically AND emotionally) movies we on this list so frequently view, try this one on for size. Oh yeah, the movie is about a very dull man who pretends to be outed to save his job. People find him more interesting, and the best part is, he finds himself more interesting. And he is very good at doing this look where he looks like a fish looking at you from the corner of his eye.”
Laura says: “Writer/director Francis Veber’s (LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, THE DINNER GAME) THE CLOSET centers on Pignon (Daniel Auteuil), an accountant so dull he’s being fired for it. His wife left him 2 yrs. before for the same reason and his 17 yr. son avoids him. As he contemplates jumping off his apt. balcony, Pignon meets his new neighbor (Michel Aumont), a retired industrial psychologist who hatches up the perfect scheme – come out of the closet and suddenly people’s perception of him will make him more interesting and his job at a condom factory will be secured. It works – only too well. Soon the homophobic rugby coach (Gerard Depardieu) is getting too friendly and his female boss is hitting on him.
“This classic French farce is blessed with a first rate cast and zippy pace (80 min.). I dare anyone who admires Auteuil in his dramatic roles not to laugh seeing him in a condom hat – also watch for his ‘pigeon’ eye. Depardieu makes hay with what could have been a terribly cliched role. Light and fun, I enjoyed this one more than THE DINNER GAME. 3.5 cats”
Marilyn says: “I had such a good laugh with this one, especially to see those two great french actors give such wonderful performances in a comedy…the condom hat and the look on Daniel Auteuil’s face was worth the price of admission.” 4 cats
Michael says: “THE CLOSET is a French Farce directed by one of the masters of the genre, Francis Veber (LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, THE MAN WITH ONE RED SHOE, THE DINNER GAME). Daniel Auteuil (THE WIDOW OF ST. PIERRE) puts in a terrific comic performance as Pignon, a dullard who is about to be fired from his job. When his neighbor comes up with the idea to circulate the rumour that Pignon is gay (along with some digitally altered pictures to prove it), the dullard turns into the talk of the company. His job is saved (a company whose chief product is condoms can’t discriminate against homosexuals now, can it?) and his life is suddenly a rollercoaster of excitement. Veber regular Gerard Depardieu plays a brutish lout whose co-workers trick him into thinking his job is on the line because of his anti-gay prejudices causing him to actively ‘court’ Pignon. Michèle Laroque (MA VIE EN ROSE) is charming as Pignon’s boss who suspects the duplicity.
“While this film won’t be on any of my best of the year lists, it certainly had me laughing, and it avoids a lot of the usual nastiness of comedies treating all the characters fairly warmly.” 3 1/2 cats.