Conversations with My Gardener (2007)

A successful artist, weary of Parisian life and on the verge of divorce, returns to the country to live in his childhood house. He needs someone to make a real vegetable garden again out of... See full summary »

Director:

Jean Becker

Writers:

Jean Becker, Jean Cosmos (screenplay and dialogue)

Stars:

Daniel Auteuil, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Fanny Cottençon

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Daniel Auteuil	...	Le peintre dit Dupinceau
Jean-Pierre Darroussin	...	Le jardinier Léo dit Dujardin
Fanny Cottençon	...	Hélène
Alexia Barlier	...	Magda
Hiam Abbass	...	La femme du jardinier
Élodie Navarre	...	Carole
Roger Van Hool	...	Tony
Michel Lagueyrie	...	René
Christian Schiaretti	...	Charles
Jean-Claude Bolle-Reddat	...	Le maire
Bernard Crombey	...	Durieux
Nicolas Vaude	...	Jean-Etienne
Coralie André	...	La vendeuse
Monique Roussel	...	La veuve Juliette
André Lutrand	...	Le père Colin

Storyline

A successful artist, weary of Parisian life and on the verge of divorce, returns to the country to live in his childhood house. He needs someone to make a real vegetable garden again out of the wilderness it has become. The gardener happens to be a former schoolfriend. A warm, fruitful conversation starts between the two men...

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Plot Keywords:

gardener | divorce | vegetable | love | southern france | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Did You Know?

Quotes

Le jardinier Léo dit Dujardin: Always carry a knife and a piece of string. They can be a life saver.

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Soundtracks

Concerto pour clarinette
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

User Reviews

Watch while fishing

This is a nice film. Not too twee. A bit better than bland. It rolls easy-goingly along.

I'm writing this review about a month after watching it. Usually i'll watch films a second time in order to review them – but with this i don't feel the need. I got the point the first time round. The point being: middle-aged friendship between blokes is something to be nurtured, treasured.

I reckon Auteuil and Darroussin – a pair of safe solid hands – didn't have to stretch themselves too far to play these roles. It seemed as easy for them acting it as it is for us watching it. The brotherly bonhomie between the two appeared inherent, generous, unaffected.

Darroussin (The Gardener) gently undermines Auteuil (The Artist) bourgeois values with simple ignorance – or better put, peasant commonsense; calls Auteuil "The Dauber". The Gardener hasn't got The Artists wider range of experience, or supposedly higher culture – but he knows a thing or two (like always having on your person a pocket knife and some string) The Dauber finds The Gardener's lack of pretension, his salt of the earth, ordinary simplicity, appealing – and eventually, even quietly enlightening.

Its feel-good cinema but understated; little feelings are allowed to bubble up subtly, like small ripples on a naturally occurring pond – while waiting patiently for that feel-good fish to present himself.

I'll watch it again when i'm in a dozy fishing kind of mood.

Its extremely pleasant. Lol

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan] Studio Canal [France]

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

6 June 2007 (France)

Also Known As:

Conversations with My Gardener

Filming Locations:

Musée de l'Education du Val-d'Oise, 2 place des Ecoles, Val-d'Oise, France

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$15,217,960

Company Credits

Production Co:

ICE3, K.J.B. Production, StudioCanal

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1