My best friend (2006)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Movie
German title my best friend
Original title Mon meilleur ami
Country of production France
original language French
Publishing year 2006
length 96 minutes
Age rating FSK o.A.
Rod
Director Patrice Leconte
script Patrice Leconte
Jérôme Tonnerre
production Olivier Delbosc
Marc Missonnier
music Xavier Demerliac
camera Jean-Marie Dreujou
cut Joëlle Hache
occupation

My best friend , in the French original Mon meilleur ami , is a film about a business-minded person without friends who has to make a bet about how to make friends. Since he just doesn't want to understand that money is more of a burden on friendship, he has problems making friends. The music for the film comes from L'Attirail .

action

François Coste is an antique dealer who only focuses on his work and therefore completely neglects his private life. When he and his partner Catherine went to an auction and bought an antique vase on a whim, the enormous purchase price that had to be borne by both of them led to a dispute with acquaintances during the business lunch that followed. Catherine points out to François that no one will come to his funeral because he has absolutely no friends. François denies the allegation and suggests a bet. If he introduces his best friend to her within ten days, the vase would be his, otherwise hers.

In the following days, François visits his acquaintances and business partners, but everyone denies being his friend, since everyone sees their relationship on a purely business basis. He even has a tense relationship with his daughter Louise. When François met the extremely open-minded taxi driver Bruno several times during his search, who quickly got into conversation with people and dreams of taking part in a quiz show, François asked him to show him how to make friends. He rents the taxi for the rest of the day and takes instructions to speak to the people. He never realizes, however, that he tends to put people off by bragging about his money. It occurs to François that maybe Bruno could become his friend. They go to a soccer game and do something together. He asks Catherine what a proof of friendship should look like. When she replies that a friend would take a great risk for someone, François stages an insurance fraud. He asks Bruno to break into his house and steal the vase that has meanwhile been delivered in order to receive the sum insured. Bruno finally gives in and does as he is told. While he is at work, François turns on the light in the gallery and presents his friend Bruno to Catherine and the other witnesses to the bet. He points out that he won the bet because Bruno took such a risk for him. Bruno realizes that François has only used it and bursts into tears because he had hoped to finally have found a true friend. Out of sheer anger, Bruno smashes the precious vase. Catherine reveals to François that she didn't care about the bet from the start, knowing that François had no friends. Catherine later tells him that the vase that Bruno destroyed was only an imitation, as the original could not be delivered yet.

To make up for his mistake, François suggested to his competitor Delamotte, whom he had outbid for the vase at the auction and who was afterwards willing to issue him a blank check for the vase, that he should get the vase at the purchase price if he would do him a favor . Delamotte is the producer of the series Who Wants to be a Millionaire and is supposed to let Bruno take the seat of the candidate. Bruno has excellent general knowledge, but has so far been turned away at every casting due to his nervousness. Now comes the surprising invitation. However, he becomes discouraged and has to be forced by his parents to take part in the program. When he was asked the questions, he knew all the answers and didn't need a joker until the million dollar question came up. Only then does he falter and no longer have any advice. He leaves out two answers, the very ones that he excluded anyway. The audience is divided too, so he's forced to call. The question deals with the subject of art, and since he thinks that none of his Jokers know anything about it, he does not want to answer the question and leave with the money he has earned so far. The moderator (played by Jean-Pierre Foucault, the real quiz master of the French version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? ) Won't let him go and wants him to at least try instead of leaving the joker unused. Bruno says he wants to call François. Then the two speak over the phone line of the show. The dialogue is so fascinating that the show's director doesn't dare turn on the 30 seconds of the clock. François finally gives him the right answer, Bruno wins a million euros. A year later, on François' birthday, the two meet again in a restaurant. Bruno is working as a taxi driver again and they both start talking. François asks him to take a seat at his table and the two become friends.

Reviews

"Melancholic comedy with depth and full of surprises, characterized by two excellent main actors."

- Lexicon of international film

Awards

At the David di Donatello Awards 2007 the film was nominated in the category “Best European Film”, but could not win it.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Release certificate for my best friend . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , November 2007 (PDF; test number: 111 992 K).
  2. ↑ My best friend. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used