Cliente (2008)

Director:

Josiane Balasko

Writers:

Josiane Balasko
Josiane Balasko (adaptation) ...
(more)

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:

Double Life | Male Prostitute | American Indian | Money Problems | Beauty Salon

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Nathalie Baye	...	Judith
Eric Caravaca	...	Marco
Isabelle Carré	...	Fanny
Josiane Balasko	...	Irène
Catherine Hiegel	...	Maggy (as Catherine Hiegel sociétaire de la Comédie Française)
Marilou Berry	...	Karine
Félicité Wouassi	...	Rosalie
George Aguilar	...	Jim
Sandrine Le Berre	...	Bérénice
David Rousseau	...	Alex
Guillaume Verdier	...	Zoltan
Jean-Christophe Folly	...	Toutoune
Richard Berry	...	Lucas
Maria Schneider	...	Marie-Hélène
Joaquina Belaunde	...	Rosanna
Mauricette Laurence	...	Mémée
Arnaud Valois	...	Sylvain
Véronique Barrault	...	Madame Vandamme
Sylvie Herbert	...	Madame Benaïche
Chantal Banlier	...	Madame Mercier
Marie-Philomène Nga	...	Madame Drame
Cécile Breccia	...	Elodie
Guillaume Nicloux	...	Jean-Louis
Rudy Berry	...	Jonathan
Karen Dersé	...	La maquilleuse
Guy Prévost	...	Victor
Arnaud Foeller	...	Jean-Marc
Hassan Gningue	...	Homme retour vidéo téléachat
Virginie Bluzat	...	Femme retour vidéo 2
Patrick Nogues	...	Le chauffeur de maître
Christian Clessi	...	L'huissier
Gérard Krawczyk	...	Le patron du bistrot
Nadja-Rebecca Warasteh	...	La vendeuse de la bijouterie (as Nadja Warasteh)
Tom Jedorowicz	...	Jérémy
Habibur Rahman	...	Le vendeur de roses du Jardin du Luxembourg
Jacques Petitpré	...	Le scientifique du Palais de la Découverte

Directed by
Josiane Balasko

Writing credits
Josiane Balasko
Josiane Balasko		(adaptation) &
Franck Lee Joseph		(adaptation)

Produced by
Patrick Batteux	....	executive producer: Moab, Utah
Cyril Colbeau-Justin	....	producer
Jean-Baptiste Dupont	....	producer
Josiane Balasko	....	co-producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
DJ Kore

Cinematography by
Robert Alazraki

Film Editing by
Marie De La Selle
Claudine Merlin

Production Design by
Olivier Radot

Art Direction by
Keith Mosca

Costume Design by
Fabienne Katany

Production Management
Didier Abot	....	unit production manager
Matthieu Constans	....	assistant unit manager
Arnaud Foeller	....	unit production manager
Albert Prévost	....	production manager
Catalina Restrepo	....	production manager: Utah

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Zazie Carcedo	....	first assistant director
Alice Darmon	....	third assistant director
Mathilde Kraemer	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Marine Genin-Birchler	....	key painter
Baptiste Magis	....	second assistant art director
Laurent Saimond	....	property master
Julie Wassef	....	second assistant decorator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Dominique Hennequin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Hassan Kamrani	....	second boom operator
Fabien Kharat	....	boom operator
Michel Kharat	....	sound
Marie-Christine Ruh	....	sound editor
Christophe Vingtrinier	....	foley engineer

Visual Effects by
Arnaud Damez	....	digital artist
Olivier Debert	....	digital artist
Olivier Debert	....	visual effects
Roxane Fechner	....	visual effects supervisor
Elodie Glain	....	visual effects coordinator
Anita Lech	....	digital artist (as Anita Lech Bedez)
Aurélie Villard	....	digital artist

Stunts
Pascal Guégan	....	stunts
Philippe Guégan	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Yves Agostini	....	camera operator
Sylvain Bardoux	....	grip
Arnaud Borrel	....	still photographer
Sarah Boutin	....	assistant camera: video
Alain Cousseau	....	gaffer
Aurélien Dubois	....	second assistant camera
Maxime Héraud	....	first assistant camera
Jérôme Prébois	....	photographer: poster
Benoît Theunissen	....	additional steadicam operator
Jean-Baptiste Thibaud	....	Steadicam operator

Casting Department
Youna De Peretti	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Virginie Bluzat	....	costume design assistant
Fabienne Josserand	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Ornella Del-Vecchio	....	digital conformation
Frederic Jupin	....	digital conformation

Other crew
Laetitia Dom	....	production assistant
Laetitia Dom	....	production secretary
François Ferracci	....	opening titles
Jessica Palud	....	location scout
Laurent Renard	....	press attache
Leslie Ricci	....	press attache

Production Companies

• Gaumont (presents)
• LGM Productions (co-production) (as LGM Films)
• Josy Films (co-production)
• France 3 Cinéma (co-production)
• Canal+ (participation)
• CinéCinéma (participation)
• Région Ile-de-France (support)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (support)
• SPAD Films

Distributors

• Gaumont (2008) (France) (theatrical)
• Gaumont DVD (2009) (France) (DVD)
• Benelux Film Distributors (2008) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (2008) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Orlando Films (2009) (Israel) (theatrical)
• Vértigo Films (2009) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Zon Lusomundo Audiovisuais (2009) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2009) (Greece) (all media)

Other Companies

• D.C. Audiovisuel  sound transfer
• Kodak  film stock

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:

Final film of actress Maria Schneider.

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