The Closet
by Francis Veber
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Daniel Auteuil, Gerad Depardieu, Thierry LhermitteDirector: Francis Veber
Brand: Buena Vista Home Video
Cinematographer: Luciano Tovoli
Writer: Francis Veber
Editor: Georges Klotz
Producer: Alain Poire
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: French (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: NTSC
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 1 minutes
Published: 2001-11-01
DVD Release Date: 2012-01-06
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: LIONSGATE
Product features:
- Francois Pignon is a lonely, dull accountant at a condom factory. At work, he's the butt of jokes, usually instigated by his co-worker Felix (Depardieu). And there's whispers at work that he's to be fired! At home, he sits alone, pining for his ex-wife and his son finds him too boring to be around. All this changes one day when a rumor spreads that he's gay, and much to his surpris
Movie Reviews of The Closet
Movie Review: To all the Pignons of this world
Summary: 5 Stars
Who is Francois Pignon? He is a character that Francis Veber has used in many of his films, from La Chevre to the excellent Diner Des Cons, and he appears again in his latest Le Placard/The Closet.
Pignon is always a lonely man, separated or divorced, with no friends or social life,accident prone,in short down on his luck, an average man living a dull existence, and invariably an oddity in a society that applauds people with good looks, and success professionally and socially..The very type of people that look down at Pignon and make fun of him..Hero vs anti Hero.
This is Francois Pignon and Veber's character in the films should be looked at in this context, regardless if one film is funnier than the other.
Certainly Diner Des Cons is funnier than Closet, and if you expect the same laughs then you will look at Veber's latest with less enthusiasm, and appreciate it less. Veber did not intend to repeat the same formula he used in Diner Des Cons, but give us a story about another Pignon, in a different context and situation.
There is more poignancy in the Closet,and it is a bittersweet comedy, like the French can only make.
The pretext of pretentious gayness to keep his job, is only a backdrop to Pignon's predicament at the hand of society, but it is a very clever insight nevertheless, into the corporate atmosphere and political correctness vs homophobia.
Yet what I found very interesting about the gay angle, is how Pignon discovers a strenght and confidence he never thought he had by pretending to be gay.The way his colleagues and family react to him, from ridicule, to excessive friendliness, to pride, (from his own son, thinking it is very cool), is very interesting.
The acting I though was very good. Assembling some of the best French working actors today , including Depardieu, Rochefort, Lhermitte and of course Auteuil.
He plays Pignon in a straight faced manner..but not boring as some reviewer saw it, because his performance reflects so well the character he is playing. All Pignons are boring! Whereas in Diner Des Cons, Pignon had the gift of talking! even in the wrong moments, saying the wrong things, and entertaining the viewer in the process, Pignon of Closet had deep anxieties, and he shows them.
The beauty about Francois Pignon is that he triumphs at the end. He saves the day..manages to make people happy, or clear the mess he put himself or others in, becoming the most unlikely hero. and this is Veber's triumph and with it The Closet.
It is a wonderful film, that I hope Hollywood will not remake, because all Veber's american remakes,(Three Fugitives, The Toy, Birdcage) even the ones he directed himself, lose their magic,
the magic of Francois Pignon.
Summary of The Closet
The always popular Gerard Depardieu (102 Dalmations, Vatel) stars in a warmly engaging comedy that shows how one little white lie can change everything! A dull and lonely accountant working at a condom factory, Francois (Daniel Auteuil) meekly endures office jokes and backroom whispers that he's about to be fired... usually instigated by his loutish coworker Felix (Depardieu). But that all changes when a rumor about him spreads around the office! Much to his surprise, this funny falsehood becomes a catalyst that sends Francois' life on an unexpected and hilarious turn for the better! As this outrageous, critically acclaimed story unfolds, you'll laugh along with Francois as he keeps this improbable charade going in an inspired bid to save his job and transform his life!This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.
French humor, which isn't exactly subtle, is delivered via an especially broad premise in The Closet. A nebbish (Daniel Auteuil) who works at a condom manufacturer learns he's about to be fired; with the help of his neighbor, he pretends to be gay so his boss can't fire him without seeming prejudiced. Then a bigoted coworker (Gerard Depardieu) tries to worm his way into the nebbish's good graces because he's afraid of being fired. In the wrong hands, The Closet could be ham-fisted slapstick. What makes this movie truly delightful is the superb understatement with which every gag is handled; even the sight of Auteuil wearing a giant condom tip on his head has an impeccable deadpan grace. All the performances are excellent; Depardieu's smarm is particularly delicious. Each scene takes a new twist of social discomfort and befuddlement in this winning comedy. --Bret Fetzer
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