Cliente (2008)

Director:

Josiane Balasko

Writers:

Josiane Balasko (adaptation)
Josiane Balasko (novel)

Release Date:

1 October 2008 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

A married construction worker leads a double life as a male prostitute serving rich ladies.

Plot Keywords:

House Painter | Sisters | Hairdresser | Gigolo | TV Shopping Network

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Nathalie Baye	...	Judith - la productrice / présentatrice d'une émission de téléachat
Eric Caravaca	...	Marco
Isabelle Carré	...	Fanny - la femme de Marco, propriétaire d'un salon de coiffure
Josiane Balasko	...	Irène
Catherine Hiegel	...	Maggy - la mère de Fanny et de Karine (as Catherine Hiegel sociétaire de la Comédie Française)
Marilou Berry	...	Karine - une jeune fille en crise
Félicité Wouassi	...	Rosalie - l'associée de Fanny
George Aguilar	...	Jim - un Indien d'Amérique dont s'éprend Irène
Sandrine Le Berre	...	Bérénice - la coprésentatrice du téléachat
David Rousseau	...	Alex
Guillaume Verdier	...	Zoltan - un prostitué mâle
Jean-Christophe Folly	...	Toutoune - l'ami chef de chantier de Marco
Richard Berry	...	Lucas - l'ex-mari de Judith
Maria Schneider	...	Marie-Hélène - une cliente de Patrick
Joaquina Belaunde	...	Rosanna - une riche Péruvienne cliente de Patrick

Also Known As:

A French Gigolo (Europe) (festival title) (USA) (festival title)
Client (International: English title) (informal title)

Runtime:

Germany:104 min (European Film Market)

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | France:U | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

Brasserie L'Idéal, Paris, France

Company:

Gaumont

Trivia:

Josiane Balasko wrote the script a few years earlier but when she proposed it to film and television producers they all rejected it for being "shocking and inappropriate". Then she decided to make her screenplay into a novel, also titled 'Cliente'. Only after the book was a success could she find young producers who took the risk to have it filmed.

Movie Connections:

References Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Soundtrack:

Sway

Money Management

CLIENTE ('A FRENCH GIGOLO') is a bit of French fluff using the subject of the world's oldest profession in an up to date role reversal situation. The 'seller' in this story is a young male construction worker (Marco - Eric Caravaca) who is married to Fanny (isabelle Carré) who owns a beauty salon that is on hard times: Marco's income drops below tolerable and he decides to try being a gigolo so that his wife won't lose her salon. The 'buyer' or client is divorced television personality and executive Judith (Natalie Baye) who satisfies her personal needs by hiring men via the internet for lunchtime trysts. Marco (who uses the name Patrick for his secret profession) connects with Judith and Judith pays him well for his services until Fanny discovers the source of Marco/Patrick's income and threatens to end their marriage. Marco returns to the home front, but returning to his life as a construction worker hardly pays the bills, and as Fanny stands to lose her salon, she encourages Marco to re-enter the life of a gigolo. Judith hires him again and a growing bond results from what should be a business arrangement. How Judith copes with the changes and the decisions Marco/Patrick makes fleshes out this light comedy that contains just enough of a bite to make it realistic.

There are other sidebar stories - Judith's sister's her affair with an American Indian, Marco's beloved Grandmother, Fanny's obnoxious live-in sister and Fanny's mother, and the reaction at the television studio by Judith's compatriots and their responses to her life style - that keep the story floating with very humorous and at times very tender diversions. Natalie Baye is her usual stunning self and manages to keep her character from becoming a parody. Josiane Balsako directs her own screenplay based on her own novel and understands the delicacies as well as the humor of the subject matter. It all works well and provides an evening of French comedy with a twist.

Grady Harp