The Château

This film centers around the story of two brothers (one white, one black - turns out he was adopted) go to France to claim their château which they inherited from their French uncle whom they have never met. What follows is a series of interactions between the French and Americans, where language barriers play a vital role. Though a comedy, it's not too funny, most of the time. It's even rather simple, as the love sub-plot is not too interesting, and too many laughs have to do with misusing French by the wonderful Paul Rudd (when will he get his big break, eh?) and some laughs that have to do with his black brother and his "jive talk". Shot in what seems to be DV, the look of the film is quite uneven, going from natural landscape look that looks like film to grainy night scenes that look like 8 mm. I am also not at all sure that the sound mix was done in DTS, as the current details state in IMDB. It was hardly the 2.0 and there is no need for more than that. The movie is quite talkie, but as such, does not really analyze the French attitude of the Americans. It is in the end a comedy about how the French are viewed by the Americans, not so much what the French really think of their ill-mannered new owners. Both sides are ludicrous and rude, the Americans with their superficial understanding of land and tradition, and the French with their inefficient way of doing business and their complete distrust of anything not French. While the movie was amusing, it lacks the serious discussion of clashing cultures and national protection of traditions and assets in a multi-cultural capitalist world, and issue we have seen many films about coming from Europe in recent years.

This film made me laugh hard like no other has for a VERY long time. Paul Rudd is fantastic as the culturally inept but big-hearted Graham while Romany Malco plays the all-too-smooth, self proclaimed "professional", Allen (Rex)to perfection. The film follows their misadventures as they travel to the south of France to claim the chateau which their great-uncle Jacques has left to them at his passing. The stuff that ensues is none too surprising - miscommunications due to language barriers, slapstick style antics from the devious servants,Pierre and Sabine - but it works. A stand out performance comes from Sylvie Testud, the seemingly timid maid, Isabelle, whose subtle performance is the glue of the film. If you have a sense of humour and a pulse, this movie is for you.

How did this make it to DVD!!??!! The filming quality was horrible! Looks like they went to France, knocked on a door and asked if whoever lived there would like to be part of the movie they were filming (with a budget of $5.00)

Had its moments, but by and large, I was disappointed. Paul Rudd makes an idiot out of himself, prattling on and on and ON AND ON, not only in broken French, but also in English. I can't help feeling just a little embarrassed for him. I also can't help feeling that he should somehow apologize for making Americans look like bumbling idiots and for doing anything but helping to improve American-French relations (whatever state they happen to be in).

I really enjoyed this unconventional film. I found the hand-held camera work and video quality of film suited the narrative and tone and the actors did very convincing jobs of the characters they portrayed. The french/American culture clash was done to great comic effect. Paul Rudd was brilliant as well as Romany Malco and Sylvie Testud, whose work I was not familiar with. I've been wanting to see this movie since it came out and I was not disappointed. If you are up for something a little more off the cuff than what usually come out of America, you will be glad to find this movie. It seems like a really good student film with great acting that actually got the resources necessary to see the film through as it was conceived of.