Reviewed by Hattie Crisell
Stars Audrey Tautou, Gad Elmaleh, Marie-Christine Adam, Vernon Dobtcheff, Jacques Spiesser, Annelise Hesme, Charlotte Vermeil, Claudine Baschet, Laurent Claret, Jean de Coninck
Written by Benoît Graffin & Pierre Salvadori
Certification UK 12A | USA PG-13
Runtime 104 minutes
Directed by Pierre Salvadori
The actress who must be sick of the word Amelie is back, and this time she’s not half as naive. Audrey Tautou plays Irène (a name that sounds much more beautiful in French, by the way), an upmarket version of a WAG who makes her living by moving from one multimillionaire to the next, living in top-end hotels and enjoying a feast of expensive gifts.
At one such hotel Irène meets Jean (Elmaleh), a waiter whom she mistakes for a rich guest — and he’s in no hurry to correct her. The two share a night of passion but as soon as Irène realises her mistake she’s off chasing someone with better financial prospects. Thus begins Jean’s pursuit of Irène, in which he takes her on at her own game in order to stay close to her, hooking up with a wealthy older woman who is happy to splash the cash in exchange for his company. The two gold-diggers spur each other on, manipulating their other halves for bigger and better gifts (jewellery, a scooter, plastic surgery ...). It’s more comedy than romance, but of course the big question is: will Irène ever give up her mercenary lifestyle for a relationship with a pauper?
This is a light, fluffy movie that feels a bit long even at 104 minutes, but no one can deny the French have done it in style. It’s glamorous and very funny, with the two leads putting in great comic performances and managing to stay on the right side of cheese in the romantic bits. I hadn’t seen Elmaleh before; he’s not a head-turner, but I on seeing this movie I developed a huge and surprising crush. Bashful, straight-faced Jean is utterly charming, and I can’t resist that accent. Men being taken along by your girlfriends or wives: don’t despair. Tautou looks stunning. One thing made me a bit uneasy: Irène and Jean are essentially prostitutes — an issue that the film skirts carefully around. It’s not a typical subject matter for what would otherwise be a family film, but maybe this is no bad thing. In American hands Priceless might have become a morality tale, and I don’t think it would be the better for that. Instead we’ve got a glossy, witty slice of France. When I left the cinema I felt like I’d been on a very luxurious, very short holiday. And that can’t be a bad thing.