Benoît Vautrin is a classic "grey man" that we don't notice, even if we're not very different from them :). Bald, sour, alone, without a specific ability at anything besides being orderly perhaps, caring but boring, he gets lucky (in a peculiar way, without any charm of course) and the small middle class community around him changes accordingly. Pay attention to the way he dresses, how drab is their house, and how he never has any fun with anything.
The beautiful young "free spirit" Eva (as Liza Manili) mistreated by his crass "new rich" boyfriend Stéphane Risi (of course, Italian :)). Then you have the "Delavenne family", comparing all the time, full of debts and children, with Béatrice, the "beautician" wife (Christine Citti) taking all decisions and Jean the big guy with a husky voice always apologizing: "it was my wife's idea" (Mathias Mlekuz from "Nos enfants chéris" among others). We all know a couple like them.
Benoît's mum, Jeanne, achieves a wonderful supporting role, you cannot buy feel pity for her. Contrary to his dad, who doesn't remember her, but for different reasons ... (Etienne Chicot !) as "Guy Delsol" a sleazy chauvinist "man of the world" living on the road with Ben's brother, and pregnant "Marilyne", who looks anything but the famous one, but turns out as manipulative as "Béatrice" (that includes sexual blackmail). Guy likes cars, women, speaks too much, talks well like a used car dealer, doesn't like trouble, always has an excuse... Again, who doesn't know a brother in law like him :)?
André Laliche is the bank owner and his elegant secretary Cécile are the ones who don't see coming. For us Argentines it's not strange to see banks stealing our money, but I guess in developed countries that is just an exception :). His rich, pushy and disagreeable mates have their bit of responsibility and one, also some sort of redemption.
Ben has a phrase: "I'm sure everything will turn out right". A bit like Voltaire's Candide, he is always expecting the best of people, even in spite of reality. He's painfully weak, this is probably a cautionary tale in disguise for "kin spirits who always want to help".
You won't be happier after watching the film, but you may laugh a lot. I bet you will look at your bank resume with a bit more of attention, and read into people's intentions with a bit more of suspiciousness. Not bad for a TV movie, don't you think?
