Le placard (2001)

Director:

Francis Veber

Writers:

Francis Veber (dialogue)
Francis Veber (screenplay)

Release Date:

17 January 2001 (Belgium)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

A man spreads the rumor of his fake homosexuality with the aid of his neighbor, to prevent his imminent firing at his work.

Plot Keywords:

Homosexuality | Accountant | Unemployment | Gay Interest | Pink Sweater

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Daniel Auteuil	...	François Pignon
Gérard Depardieu	...	Félix Santini
Thierry Lhermitte	...	Guillaume
Michèle Laroque	...	Mlle Bertrand
Jean Rochefort	...	Kopel, the director
Alexandra Vandernoot	...	Christine
Stanislas Crevillén	...	Franck
Michel Aumont	...	Belone, the neighbour
Edgar Givry	...	Mathieu
Thierry René	...	Victor (as Thierry Ashanti)
Armelle Deutsch	...	Ariane
Michèle Garcia	...	Madame Santini
Laurent Gamelon	...	Alba
Vincent Moscato	...	Ponce
Irina Ninova	...	Martine

Also Known As:

The Closet (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for a scene of sexuality.

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Argentina:13 | Brazil:14 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:6 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIB | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Chaville, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Company:

Gaumont

Trivia:

Director Trademark: [Francis Veber] [François Pignon]features a likeable idiot called François Pignon.

Quotes:

Belone, the neighbour: So what's wrong?
François Pignon: I'm about to get fired.
Belone, the neighbour: Well, we can avoid that.
François Pignon: How?
Belone, the neighbour: Come out of the closet.
François Pignon: I'm not gay!
Belone, the neighbour: Does that matter?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Cinemania: Ypalliloi en drasei!" (2009)

A Great, Funny Feel-Good Movie

Anyone who dismisses foreign films as too abstract or intellectual should see this one; it functions no differently than any American comedy. (By American comedy, I'm speaking of movies like the better Coen Brothers or Woody Allen comedies and not mass-produced garbage like "White Chicks".) Many times I completely forgot it was in French and that I was reading subtitles.

Daniel Auteuil is great in this charming film. His sad-sack loser is reminiscent of William H. Macy's most famous roles, or perhaps Jack Lemmon in "The Apartment".

Everything goes wrong for François Mignon. Neither his wife, who left him two years before, nor his teenage son will have anything to do with him. He is ignored at work, and finds out through the grapevine that he has been fired.

His next-door neighbor talks him out of suicide and comes up with a plan to save his job: if Mignon pretends to be gay, the company will not want to look homophobic by firing him.

This plan works perfectly, and Mignon is thrown into a number of increasingly ridiculous situations, now that he is reputed to be gay.

The film wraps up quickly and ties together almost too neatly, but the ending fits the fast paced comic style of everything before it. Overall, this is an entertaining and heartwarming film.