HORS DE PRIX (PRICELESS)

France, 2007, 104 minutes, Colour.
Gad Elmaleh, Audrey Tautou, Marie- Christine Adam, Vernon Dobtcheff.
Directed by Pierre Salvadore.

Sometimes a film has such an effect on you as you watch it that it stirs deep feelings and creates a great empathy. On the other hand, sometimes a film has such an effect as you watch it that it stirs deep feelings and creates a great antipathy. For this reviewer, Priceless is one of the latter films. It stirred many puritan attitudes, perhaps, but it stirred a lot of feelings consumerist-based fairy tales and about social justice, poverty, affluence and waste and narcissistic hedonism!

Of course, it is well-crafted, has two attractive leads in Audrey Tautou and Gad Elahel, looks sumptuous with its Riviera setting and spending (ah! a key word to the film) so much time at the Hotel de Paris in Nice (with some glimpses of prices on menus). The poster quotes an anonymous enthusiastic reviewer saying that it is ‘sexy, funny and glamorous’. And many others have noted that it is Breakfast at Tiffany’s meets Pretty Woman on the Riviera. While Sex and the City seemed to be based on the principle that ‘expensive is good’, Priceless is ‘most expensive (no matter how you get it) is best’.

What can one say? Here is a young woman who cultivates older men to support her increasingly lavish lifestyle and expectations. She does not have a heart of gold except that she would probably like one of real gold. When she mistakes a dopey barman for a millionaire and takes aim at him, he falls for her, lets her spend all his savings on extravagant clothes and meals – and then he is mistaken for a gigolo by a wealthy widow! They begin to be competitive with each other, which certainly gets her attention and the screenplay (not reality) makes them fall in love. Still, they both continue to lie and connive for their own gains. And, suddenly, even more artificially than those ‘moral’ tacked on endings in old Hollywood movies from the days of the Production Code to show that crime doesn’t pay, they seem to go off to live happily ever after without wanting to exploit anyone again and to do without the luxuries that seemed indispensible.

1.The popularity of this film? Soap opera, fairy tale?

2.The Riviera locations, Biarritz and the coast, Nice? The hotels and glamour? Fashions? The consumerist ethic? The musical score?

3.The title, reference to Irene and Jean’s attitudes? Spending?

4.The focus on Irene, her relationship with Jacques? The liaison with older men? The extravagant life? Her lack of conscience? Her going to the bar, her birthday, meeting Jean, mistaking him for a millionaire? The drinks? The attraction? Returning a year later? Meeting Jean again, the beginning of a liaison? Her being dropped by Jacques? Her anger? Her revenge on Jean? Staying the night with him, spending all his money, the extravagant clothes, the extravagant meal? Her reaction to his being taken on by Madeleine? Her meeting Gilles? In Nice, the high life? The scenes with Gilles, pandering to him? Her spending? The rivalry with Jean? Discussing his gifts, the watch? Going off with him in the night – the possibility of falling in love? Gilles seeing her, dropping her? Her desperation, sitting at the pool, not having anything? Jean going to get her clothes, paying for a week at the hotel, her wardrobe? Her setting her eyes on others – and Jacques’ observations? Her revenge on Jacques, luring Agnes, telling lies, friendship, leading her to Jean? Revealing the truth? Agnes and her anger and leaving? Their both being dropped? Going off together? The possibility of a decent relationship?

5.Jean, his work in the hotel, in the bar, tired, walking the dogs? The reaction of the women to their dogs? Meeting Irene, the drinks, not telling her the truth? The night with her? The effect, the year later? The liaison? His being caught, the hotel staff showing the family around? His being dismissed? Going to Nice? Following Irene? The encounter with Madeleine, becoming a gigolo, the gifts, the watch and Irene smashing it, the new watch? Madeleine and her demands? His wanting to get out? With Irene, comparisons of gifts, going out for the evening? The final pretence, with Agnes, humiliating her? Going off with Irene?

6.The presentation of the older men and women, the liaisons with younger men and women? Wealthy men, widows? Giving gifts, extravagant spending? Their being hurt by betrayal? The characters of Madeleine and Jacques? Gilles and his talking?

7.The women on the go, on the make, Agnes, her blatant behaviour towards Jean? Dumping Jacques?

8.The world of fashion, high life on the Riviera? Affluent people, spending, spendthrift, wasteful? The glamorising of this world?