Enamórate de mí

A charming, classy comedy of morals as only the French can do it. This was also the milieu of the great German-born American director Ernst Lubitsch, who flourished between the 20's and the 40's.

The theme of mutual con games mixing sex and money reminded me very much of Lubitsch's 1932 classic, "Trouble in Paradise", which shows up on TCM every once in awhile. See "Priceless" and rent "Trouble" and see if you agree.

This is not a masterpiece, but it is a very clever, witty and enjoyable film with an excellent cast. As always, Tautou is a delight. Cudos also to Gad Elmaleh as the bartender/dog walker Jean and Marie-Christine Adam as the rich widow.

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!!

This is a classic case of moral ambivalence. Audrey Tautou, hypnotising us as usual with her big soulful eyes, plays someone of less than salubrious character, in fact a totally amoral gold-digger. The film is actually a study of gold-digging. Gad Elmaleh is the hapless intoxicant, drowning in the beauty of Audrey, a kind of Tautouholic, and who cannot understand that? So he starts out straight and gets sucked into this world of sell yourself for cash, and sticks with it because while they are in the same luxury hotels being paid to be sex toys by rich older people, he gets to spend his spare moments with her. The girlie friendship between them as prostitute colleagues drives him crazy because he loves her, but it is the only way he can be near her. The film has many hilarious moments, if being a prostitute is hilarious, and the story is about whether Audrey will discover what is 'beyond price', namely that thing called love. Audrey's talent for mania comes out especially in the scene where she goes wild with lust for a new dress which she sees for sale. She wants money, she wants things, and ultimately this is a morality tale about whether she can get beyond these delusions. Elmaleh was an excellent choice for the fellow, and he does a superb job in being sensitive and befuddled as he does what a man has gotta do to hang in there somehow. Will she crack? Audrey meanwhile exudes waves of warmth and creates a real individual out of someone who could so easily have been a cardboard cutout character. The screen is awash with her charm, one wants to wade out into that surf, like Elmaleh, knowing that one could easily drown. Will he? Does he? I'm not going to tell. Notch up one more irresistible vehicle for Audrey Tautou as she continues her march through unmissable film after film. But the mystery as to who and what she is deepens, because the more she is exposed to our view, the less we can really see of her, as she is the ultimate chamaeleon, of whom we will always know a diminishing amount as she progressively turns herself into a legend.

The film grants you 1 hour and 40 minutes of pleasure and fun, watching how the sparkling champagne girl Audrey Tautou polishes up the rough cub presented by Gad Elmaleh, an actor who in his own strange way possesses some kind of irresistible charm. It is also amazing how easy and encouragingly the movie interprets the profession of a modern hooker, turning it into a free-and-easy glamorous lifestyle.

Hors de prix is a commercial entertainment; however, it is undoubtedly a well done piece of art. Let's not forget that more or less everyone is able to make an original authorfilm, whilst it takes an effort to create a genre work of quality. I am thankful to the director who has convinced me that there still are some people who live and love truly and do not hesitate to give their last Euro away to buy ten seconds of happiness.

This film could be called very French. It takes place in the south of France, a playground between/among men and women, has style and is set in stylish places such as hotels and "haut couture" stores.The female character, and even the male one, are amoral but not judged as such by the director and not severely so by the men and women they service. Some of the reviewers have referred to Irene (Audrey Tatou) as a prostitute. This isn't quite correct. She was a courtesan: a professional mistress chosen as much for her companionship in public as well as private. Like most famous courtesans (e.g "La Dame aux Cammillias") she seems to have come from poverty of some sort--and is thus rather tough.And Jean could probably be called a gigolo, though the elderly lady who pampers him has only minimal illusions as to why he's with her. That could be the point: the middle-aged and elderly rich people they play up to are themselves at fault if they want "young stuff" around as companions instead of seeking company their own age. I did like the ending with the Euro.