With The Learners Pierre Salvadori impinges on Francis Veber territory - two conflicting personalities obliged to share a screen for 90 minutes or so - and he brings it off rather well, so much so in fact that both Guillaume Depardieu and Francois Cluzet were nominated for Cesars (Most Promising and Best Actor respectively) and Depardieu actually won - though Cluzet, a far better actor, went one better when he won a Best Actor Cesar a couple of years ago for Ne le dis a personne. This was only Salvadori's third film and only slightly inferior to his second Cible Emouvant; he turned out another faux Veber with Apres Vous and most lately ripped off Breakfast At Tiffaney's with Hors de Prix. There's much to admire in The Learners both verbal and visual and arguably Guillaume Depardieu has still to find a role as satisfying as Fred which is not a problem afflicting Cluzet, veteran of a good dozen fine roles in fine films. I was glad to have caught up with this one at last after missing it first time round.
Review of The Apprentices
