Dialog mit meinem Gärtner

His great performance is the axis of this moving short film about two friends encounter after decades , their jobs, family, memories, routine, different perspectives and different options but, both complementary.

A film who easy can be defined as good adaptation or bitter - sweer comedy , or demonstration of brilliant acting.

In fact, a beautiful invitation to viewer to discover himself, the near others, the beloved ones, the value of interests and virtues.

And a touching return to clear, precise, gentle, useful, honest simplicity, hiding painful details, offering naif, at first sight, perspective about life, defining, in proper terms, generosity and kindness.

In short, a film who must you see.

Jean Becker makes extremely typical french films, with lots of dialog, and masterful mise en scene. This film plays again with one of his favorite subjects, the wisdom of the uncultivated, working class simpletons, as opposed to the stiff way of life of the cultivated bourgeoisie. More or less. The story, a painter who goes back to the village of his childhood and befriends a retired railroad worker he hires as gardener ad happens to be an old childhood friend, serves well as an excuse for a series of enlightening dialogs and thoughts over class, life, struggle, love, etc. When it ends you have been entertained brilliantly for 90 minutes, and you are also left with something to think about.

IMDb 7/10 ROTTENTOMATOES 7/10 ALLMOVIE 4/5

A famous painter whose marriage is in trouble goes back to the house where he grew up. He hires a gardener, who turns out to be an old childhood friend.

Great performances, nice script, realistic situations, very well developed relationships.

A movie that entertains and makes you think and value simple things in life.

This film was adapted from the memoirs of painter Henri Cueco.

Recommandable film. A pleasure to watch.

This is a nice film. Not too twee. A bit better than bland. It rolls easy-goingly along.

I'm writing this review about a month after watching it. Usually i'll watch films a second time in order to review them – but with this i don't feel the need. I got the point the first time round. The point being: middle-aged friendship between blokes is something to be nurtured, treasured.

I reckon Auteuil and Darroussin – a pair of safe solid hands – didn't have to stretch themselves too far to play these roles. It seemed as easy for them acting it as it is for us watching it. The brotherly bonhomie between the two appeared inherent, generous, unaffected.

Darroussin (The Gardener) gently undermines Auteuil (The Artist) bourgeois values with simple ignorance – or better put, peasant commonsense; calls Auteuil "The Dauber". The Gardener hasn't got The Artists wider range of experience, or supposedly higher culture – but he knows a thing or two (like always having on your person a pocket knife and some string) The Dauber finds The Gardener's lack of pretension, his salt of the earth, ordinary simplicity, appealing – and eventually, even quietly enlightening.

Its feel-good cinema but understated; little feelings are allowed to bubble up subtly, like small ripples on a naturally occurring pond – while waiting patiently for that feel-good fish to present himself.

I'll watch it again when i'm in a dozy fishing kind of mood.

Its extremely pleasant. Lol

Our usual group of 4 Dutch, Filipino, Chinese Malaysian, and French did enjoy so much this movie screened in Sydney these past few weeks. As said before simple but without simplicity. This was also my sentiment, I imagine my french background took my enjoyment even a little further. I can't say I never had much passion for gardening although I do appreciate nature in general. But I like animals and people behaviour; it is so often fascinating. This is what this story did for me, it brought fascinating union and mutual respect between two very different people, this in a rather natural way. I let myself go with the gentle flow of the tale and rode the few bumps here and there as life scatters them. I won't talk about the story line since I'm sure it's been read many time before these lines. There weren't a crowd either in the cinema, only one more couple and one lone other person. Yet the story took you from the start and you did not need a crowd around to help you along. It was almost like a personal experience that somehow made you feel as if you were part of this dialogue. I do much appreciate Daniel Auteuil whom I discovered for the first time with G de Pardieu in "Jean des Florettes" and "Manon des Sources" Much as happened since and for both of them but one seems to have been imunised from Hollywood and is better for it in my opinion.