Hors de prix (2006) Reviews

• Grand Prix

  frankenbenz2008-05-13

  Last night my girlfriend dragged me to a chick flick. Fortunately for me, my girl has pretty good taste and it happened to be a French chick flick. Priceless doesn't redefine the genre, but it does prove most European mainstream films have a lot more going for them than most mainstream American films. "Love conquers all" is certainly not an original theme, yet clichéd or not, this telling feels both fresh and intelligent. Whereas American chick flicks portray women as lonely, hopeless and dying to meet Mr. Right, Priceless establishes its female lead as anything but. Audrey Tautou's Irène is an icy predator, a materialistic bitch with no redeeming qualities other than a great body every designer dress she dons showcases. Here the male lead Jean (Gad Elmaleh) is the hapless and hopeless romantic, who is desperate to melt the ice queen's heart. While this setup might call to mind the Coen Brother's Intolerable Cruelty, it doesn't suffer from IC's achilles heel: aping the films it was inspired by. The Coen's film is an all too obvious tribute to Howard Hawk's screwball romantic comedies, so much so, their respect for Hawk's becomes the very crutch that renders IC lame. Priceless also pays respect to classic French comedies (ie. the films of Louis de Funès and Jacques Tati) but, unlike IC, it never gets bogged down by its influences. Priceless manages to make the old seem new and it is buoyed by its charm, its nuanced writing and the performances of the two leads. Gad Elmaleh who plays the naïve Jean, not only nails every bit of physical comedy assigned to him, but he also provides Priceless with its heart. You can't help but feel his pain as you see in his eyes the heartache and humiliation inflicted upon him by Tautou's Irène. Throughout the film Elmaleh effortlessly expresses a wide range of emotions and even though the comedy is, at times, broad it never feels contrived and always feels natural. I'm not going to go over the top and call this a masterpiece, but if you've got to sacrifice some blood and sit through a chick flick after subjecting your better half to a Herzog marathon (as I recently did), then Priceless is the perfect choice.

• great acting, suspense, easy humour, perfect french romance!

  bitter_sweet_devil2007-03-06

  I loved this movie. The cast was well acted, the relationships kept me at the edge of my seat as there were always suspense and thrills with every single relationship and this includes the spotlight characters. Every actor's facial expressions, not outcasting the supporting roles were so well acted that every one had me guessing, worrying the conditions of the relationships every second. This is a great break away from Hollywood comedies/romance movies these days and it gives me great relief that great films like this still exists! So, if you've gotten used to movies filled with senseless sex, random nudity-all the ingredients of these days' plot less "romantic teen comedies", you wouldn't like this movie. That having said, loved Audrey Tatou's acting-AS ALWAYS. She made me hate her guts in the beginning, then sympathize with her, feel happy for her, as she discovers and attempts to claim her love. I've just been introduced to Gad and truthfully, I was really not looking forward to seeing him in it because he looks too skinny, his features too pointedly brought together to be instantly attractive for a romantic role like this. And, this is the case in the beginning. However, he surprises me as time progresses-and I unconsciously got sucked into his talented, fabulous acting. Now all I can see is a foxy, sexy guy with a lot of wits who can melt any female in a second. Overall this is a great film about relationships, discovery, interaction between realistic people, human values that are often taken for granted and forgotten these days, altogether stringed with sweet icings of hysterical laughters from easy humour, not to mention loveeee and romannceee!!

• A Nutshell Review: Priceless

  DICK STEEL2007-05-11

  Transportation S$3.00 Movie Ticket S$9.00 Fried Chicken S$3.80 A Good Movie That Entertains? Priceless. Directed by Pierre Salvadori, Pricess is one heck of a delightful gem. It is playful, cheeky, and boasts excellent chemistry between its leads, which is crucial to pull off a romantic comedy so dependent on their banter and interaction. Audrey Tautou plays Irene, a high maintenance gold digging prostitute who flits from one elderly man to another, in the hopes of seducing and convincing them into marriage, while in the meantime milking all she could from their company. It's haute fashion label dropping, living the high life in expensive hotel suites, for free. In an uncontrollable one night stand, she hooks up with waiter Jean (Gad Elmaleh), who while is totally out of her league, falls hard for her, and becomes a constant thorn in her side as she goes about her mission in life. Not your usual romance movie where the bickering couple are expected to kiss, make up, and bicker some more, Priceless does two things in its narrative. One, in its reminder to the male suckers out there to be wary of high maintenance women - if you don't have what it takes (and that simply means a really fat bankroll), forget about it, as she'll drain your finances as simply as it takes to gulp down a glass of water. Two, perhaps it really does pay for those who are kept men and women, if they don't mind trading their bodies for material pleasures that a rich life can offer. And from adversaries to partners in crime, Priceless sprinkles its narrative with scenes like from The Guru, where tips and tricks of the trade are shared, and played for laughs. And this is especially so with Jean's natural charms mixed with Mr Bean like demeanor. Kudos actually to actor Gad Elmaleh, who throws this constant innocent blank look, when he's hamming it up pretending to be loaded, or practising turning on his charms (consciously or otherwise). He brings to Jean a sense of helplessness in falling for the woman of his dreams much against his finances, and gives Jean that chivalrous character that will surely win many over. Fans of Audrey Tautou will reminisce her portrayal as Irene to be similar to the quirky Amelie, only that this time round, she's the complete slut whom you pity for having such a materialistic nature. Her plunging necklines all the way down to the navel will no doubt raise temperatures, and while noticeably older, has brought about a sense of maturity from giggling girl to all woman. Peppered with an excellent soundtrack, the best songs were kept for a party scene, and for as many party scenes featured in various movies, I'd rate this one as one of the most interesting, thanks to the key music, characters, and the scene that plays out just right. With so many elements working in its favour, I'd rate this as a contender for the top movies of this year. Don't let this movie slip pass you in this crowded blockbuster summer!

• subtle and developed

  Rob-O-Cop2008-01-22

  With so much rubbish hitting screens across the world it's a breath of fresh air each time a film comes along that treats its audience with respect and acknowledges a level of intelligence and ability to pick up detail without banging us over the head with it. Priceless takes a simple idea that in other hands would have stayed at the simple level and develops layers and folds, shades of grey, as well as some straight up laughs. Audrey Tautou does wonders with her character, making her lovable one minute and despicable the next but not so much that we hate her. I was amazed at the natural flow with which she delivered her performance. A slight facial expression speaking pages. If I wasn't a fan before, I am now. Gad Elmaleh delivers a similar performance as he did in the valet, which works perfectly for this movie, luckily. He is really good at what he does, and for those that say he is unbelievable in the lead romantic role, I think he pulled out the charm quite convincingly at the right moments, which is exactly what the feel of the film required. These are not cartoon characters that we know are either good or bad, they're complex, just like real humans who some times we hate, and some times we love. Yay for quality cinema!!

• Captivating and delightful

  Gordon-112007-09-29

  This is a romantic comedy about the unlikely encounter between a bartender and with a woman who is constantly looking for a rich boyfriend. The plot is captivating and delightful! The characters are developed well, and I connect with them greatly. Audrey Tautou is really great in this film. Her range of facial expressions alone is joyful to watch. The memorable scenes of her includes her boredom in bed, the surprise of seeing Jean in the restaurant and many more. She gives a very fine performance in this film! Jean's transformation from a regular guy to a high flier in the elite circle is well portrayed. The wardrobe department must be commended as well, for Audrey Tautou's ever changing outfit. The charm of the high life is well presented in the film. I really like this film.