Priceless (2006) Hors de prix (original title)

Director:

Pierre Salvadori

Writers:

Pierre Salvadori (scenario) and
Benoît Graffin (scenario) ...
(more)

Release Date:

13 December 2006 (Belgium)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

She only dated men with money...until she met a man with a heart

Plot:

Through a set of wacky circumstances, a young gold digger mistakenly woos a mild-mannered bartender thinking he's a wealthy suitor.

Plot Keywords:

Bartender | Money | Gold Digger | Birthday | Caught Kissing

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Audrey Tautou	...	Irène
Gad Elmaleh	...	Jean
Marie-Christine Adam	...	Madeleine
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Jacques
Jacques Spiesser	...	Gilles
Annelise Hesme	...	Agnès
Charlotte Vermeil	...	La dame au chihuahua
Claudine Baschet	...	La dame au dogue
Laurent Claret	...	Le responsable du bar à Biarritz
Jean de Coninck	...	Le client au cigare
Blandine Pélissier	...	La femme de chambre
Philippe Vendan-Borin	...	Le serveur au restaurant à Biarritz
Bernard Bourdeau	...	Le collègue de Jean à Biarritz
Didier Brice	...	François
Laurent Mouton	...	Le serveur au café François
Frédéric Bocquet	...	Le réceptionniste à Monaco
Jean-Michel Lahmi	...	Le chirurgien esthétique
Luc Chavy	...	Le serveur à la piscine 1
Guillaume Verdier	...	Le serveur à la piscine 2

Directed by
Pierre Salvadori

Writing credits
Pierre Salvadori		(scenario) and
Benoît Graffin		(scenario)
Pierre Salvadori		(dialogue)
Franck Bauchard		(script consultant)

Produced by
Philippe Martin	....	producer

Original Music by
Camille Bazbaz
David Hadjadj

Cinematography by
Gilles Henry

Film Editing by
Isabelle Devinck

Casting by
Alain Charbit

Production Design by
Yves Fournier

Costume Design by
Virginie Montel

Makeup Department
Laurence Boulet	....	additional hair stylist
Madeleine Cofano	....	hair designer: Audrey Tautou
Paul de Fisser	....	additional hair stylist
Turid Follvick	....	makeup artist (as Turid Follvik)
Nathalie Kovalski	....	makeup artist
Alain Luzy	....	additional hair stylist
Muriel Martin	....	additional hair stylist
Franck Mendoche	....	additional hair stylist
Jane Milon	....	hair stylist
Agathe Moro	....	hair stylist
Liliane Rametta	....	additional makeup artist
Marilyn Rieul	....	additional makeup artist
Franck Silvi	....	additional hair stylist

Production Management
Pascal Bonnet	....	production manager
Christophe Fustini	....	assistant unit manager
Bertrand Girard	....	assistant unit manager
Pierre Leimbacher	....	assistant unit manager
Juliette Mallon	....	post-production manager
Tony Matos	....	assistant unit manager
David Moreillon	....	assistant unit manager
Frédéric Morin	....	assistant unit manager
Roxanne Pinheiro	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alan Corno	....	first assistant director
Hicham Kadiri	....	assistant director
Julie Laugier	....	additional assistant director
Amélie Marfurt	....	second assistant director
Alexandre Tisseyre	....	trainee assistant director

Art Department
Natacha Altman	....	painter
Céline Barray	....	landscape designer
Nicolas Barray	....	painter
Sabine Barthélémy	....	painter
Matthieu Baudry	....	painter
Laurent Bessou	....	constructor
Martin Boutilié	....	constructor
Bernard Bridon	....	property master
Séverine Brunner	....	tapestry
Denis Cantiteau	....	constructor
Bruno Canzani	....	painter
Marianne Capdeville	....	painter
Jean-Baptiste Chartier	....	dressing props
Caroline Chauvel	....	tapestry
Jérome Clavier	....	painter
Philippe Cord'homme	....	set dresser: Monaco
Daniel Crociati	....	painter
Hubert De Forcade	....	constructor
Britta Demasse	....	set dresser
Christine Descloitres	....	painter
Ivan Desru	....	trainee property master (as Ivan Desrue)
Guillaume Diehl	....	constructor (as Guillaume Dielh)
Marie Dos Santos	....	head painter
Denis Falgoux	....	first assistant decorator
Valérie Faynot	....	assistant decorator
Magali Fontaine	....	painter (as Magalie Fontaine)
Magali Fournier-Clavere	....	painter (as Magalie Clavere)
Christian Joly	....	constructor (as Christain Joly)
Eric Lambert	....	assistant decorator
Maryline Le Bihan	....	locksmith
Pawel Lokczewski	....	landscape artist (as Pavel Lockzewski)
Vincent Martin	....	painter
Jean-Louis Morin	....	landscape artist
Samir Moundy	....	assistant property master
Samir Moundy	....	swing gang
Franck Mouteault	....	painter
Muriel Nicolle	....	sculptor
Yves Noras	....	sculptor
Jean Noviel	....	painter
Paul Pasquier	....	computer graphics
Anne Pelosi	....	assistant art director
Jérôme Poirier	....	constructor
Manuel Poulain	....	constructor
François Roux	....	sculptor
Janie Ryckmans	....	tapestry
Sandra Sasportas	....	constructor (as Sandra Saportas)
Juan-Carlos Soler	....	constructor
Marie-Hélène Sulmoni	....	set dresser
Didier Tardivel	....	painter
Nicolas Testas	....	constructor
Rémy Valognes	....	tapestry
Alejandro Vasquez	....	constructor
Angelo Zamparutti	....	construction coordinator
Valérie Genty	....	production assistant: art department (uncredited)

Sound Department
Pascale Aubaret	....	dialogue editor
Mathilde Boussel	....	additional dialogue editor (as Mathilde Bousselle)
Hélène Catuhe	....	assistant sound editor
Pascal Chauvin	....	foley artist
Lionel Lebras	....	boom operator
Alexis Leverve	....	assistant sound mixer
Alexis Leverve	....	co-sound mixer
François Maurel	....	sound
Fred Messa	....	boom operator (as Frédéric Messa)
Annie Pierre	....	assistant sound editor
Joël Rangon	....	sound mixer
Franck Tassel	....	assistant foley artist
Christophe Vingtrinier	....	foley engineer
Jean-Christophe Winding	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Grégoire Delage	....	special effects: rain
Georges Demétrau	....	special effects: rain
Pascal Fauvelle	....	special effects: rain
Olivier Zenenski	....	special effects: rain

Visual Effects by
Marc Alépée	....	roto artist
Julien Buisseret	....	visual effect artist: MIKROS
Sophie Denize	....	visual effects producer
Vincent Dudouet	....	digital compositor: Mikros image
Cédric Fayolle	....	visual effects supervisor
Ludovic Iochem	....	matte painter
Sabine Lineres	....	digital compositor
Magalie Léonard	....	digital colorist (as Magali Léonard)
Jean Christophe Mairot	....	roto artist
Caroline Mistral	....	digital compositor
Jean-Yves Parent	....	roto artist
Julien Rousseau	....	digital compositor
Christine Szymkowiak	....	digital colorist
Jessy Ykema	....	visual effects producer
Salvador Zalvidea	....	digital compositor

Camera and Electrical Department
Olivier Abelé	....	additional electrician: Biarritz
Matilde Blancke	....	trainee assistant camera
Mathieu Caudroy	....	Steadicam operator
Fabrice Delalée	....	additional electrician: Biarritz
Renaud Fidon	....	grip
Sebastien Gaulon	....	electrician
Marion Koch	....	additional assistant camera
David Koskas	....	still photographer
Marianne Lamour	....	pre-light electrician
David le Mevel	....	electrician
Olivier Leblanc	....	crane operator
Pierre Michaud	....	gaffer
Anne Nicolet	....	first assistant camera
Stéphane Nègre	....	additional electrician: Nice
Samuel Renollet	....	second assistant camera
Eric Sacher	....	crane operator
Frederick Vanard	....	electrician
Antoine Vidal	....	crane operator

Casting Department
Christiane Barale	....	extras casting: Côte d'Azur
Françoise Decupère	....	extras casting: Biarritz
Lucas Loubaresse	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Elfie Carlier	....	costumer
Elise Carlier	....	costumer
Olivia Lahougue	....	wardrobe
Dorothée Lissac	....	costumer
Isabelle Pannetier	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Marie Da Costa	....	assistant editor
Gwenola Heaulme	....	additional assistant editor
Sophie Lustière	....	color timer
Nelly Ollivault	....	trainee assistant editor
Emmanuelle Pencalet	....	additional assistant editor

Music Department
Clement Souchier	....	music synchronization

Other crew
Hélène Bastide	....	production administrator
Max Belmessieri	....	location manager
Sandrine Cayron	....	script supervisor
John Kaylin	....	dubbing producer
Alexandre Kyriakidis	....	production assistant
Florence Lemoine	....	assistant administrator
Jean-Patrick Nourricier	....	rush runner
Valérie Todisco	....	production secretary
Pascal Tréguy	....	dog trainer (as Pascal Trégui)

Production Companies

• France 2 Cinéma (co-production)
• France 3 Cinéma (co-production)
• Tovo Films (co-production)
• Canal+
• Les Films Pelléas
• TPS Star
• Wild Bunch

Distributors

• Alfa Films (2007) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Cinema Mondo (2007) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Festive Films (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Icon Film Distribution (2008) (UK) (theatrical)
• NonStop Entertainment (2007) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Samuel Goldwyn Films (2008) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Shaw Organisation (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• TFM Distribution (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Central Partnership (2007) (Russia) (all media)
• Christal Films (2006) (Canada) (all media)
• First Look International
• First Look Pictures (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Prooptiki Bulgaria (2008) (Bulgaria) (DVD)
• Samuel Goldwyn Films (2007) (USA) (all media)
• Sandrews (2008) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Sunfilm Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Tanweer Films (2011) (Bangladesh) (TV)
• Tanweer Films (2011) (Bhutan) (TV)
• Tanweer Films (2011) (India) (TV)
• Tanweer Films (2011) (Nepal) (TV)
• Tanweer Films (2011) (Pakistan) (TV)
• Tanweer Films (2011) (Sri Lanka) (TV)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Hors de prix" - France (original title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content including nudity

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | USA:R (special edition) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Hong Kong:IIA | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-3 | Portugal:M/12 | Ireland:12A | Argentina:13 | Sweden:7 | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | France:U

Filming Locations:

France

Company:

France 2 Cinéma

Trivia:

During a French TV show, the actress and singer Marie Laforêt announced her participation in the film, but in the end, she did not appear in it.

Quotes:

Irène:But charm is more valuable than beauty. You can resist beauty, but you can't resist charm.

Soundtrack:

Cheaper to Keep Her

Grand Prix

Last night my girlfriend dragged me to a chick flick. Fortunately for me, my girl has pretty good taste and it happened to be a French chick flick. Priceless doesn't redefine the genre, but it does prove most European mainstream films have a lot more going for them than most mainstream American films.

"Love conquers all" is certainly not an original theme, yet clichéd or not, this telling feels both fresh and intelligent. Whereas American chick flicks portray women as lonely, hopeless and dying to meet Mr. Right, Priceless establishes its female lead as anything but. Audrey Tautou's Irène is an icy predator, a materialistic bitch with no redeeming qualities other than a great body every designer dress she dons showcases. Here the male lead Jean (Gad Elmaleh) is the hapless and hopeless romantic, who is desperate to melt the ice queen's heart. While this setup might call to mind the Coen Brother's Intolerable Cruelty, it doesn't suffer from IC's achilles heel: aping the films it was inspired by. The Coen's film is an all too obvious tribute to Howard Hawk's screwball romantic comedies, so much so, their respect for Hawk's becomes the very crutch that renders IC lame. Priceless also pays respect to classic French comedies (ie. the films of Louis de Funès and Jacques Tati) but, unlike IC, it never gets bogged down by its influences. Priceless manages to make the old seem new and it is buoyed by its charm, its nuanced writing and the performances of the two leads.

Gad Elmaleh who plays the naïve Jean, not only nails every bit of physical comedy assigned to him, but he also provides Priceless with its heart. You can't help but feel his pain as you see in his eyes the heartache and humiliation inflicted upon him by Tautou's Irène. Throughout the film Elmaleh effortlessly expresses a wide range of emotions and even though the comedy is, at times, broad it never feels contrived and always feels natural.

I'm not going to go over the top and call this a masterpiece, but if you've got to sacrifice some blood and sit through a chick flick after subjecting your better half to a Herzog marathon (as I recently did), then Priceless is the perfect choice.