No matter how humble we purport to be, we secretly would like to think that upon our death many friends would attend our funeral, bemoaning our passing and extolling our virtues. Musing aloud at a dinner party about the exact number of pals that would come to honor his trip to the pearly gates, smug antiques dealer Francois is swiftly informed by his gathered "friends" that the number would be exactly zero. He soon realizes that this is no joke, in fact the group truthfully admits that they are simply "business contacts" and by no means real "friends" and in reality can't stand him. Even his long-time business partner Catherine has to confess he's really not a likeable person and chides him about having even one best friend. His ego bruised, an outraged Francois bets Catherine a very expensive piece of ancient art that in ten days he will produce this "best friend" to prove to all he isn't friendless. Thus the stage is set for the witty and delightful French comedy Mon Meilleur Ami (My Best Friend).
Francois (the great Daniel Auteuil in a wonderfully stuffy performance) has spent the better part of his life putting business ahead of intimacy, to the detriment of even his relationship with his own wife and daughter. They accept him but can't feel close to him. He is self-centered and oblivious to his basic repugnance. He's clueless and in need of some serious counsel on his sobering quest for a best bud.
Meanwhile Bruno (a scene stealing Danny Boon) an eternally cheerful taxi-driver is having some friend issues of his own. Big-eared and big-hearted Bruno dreams of being on Who Wants To Be Millionaire and is a walking encyclopedia of facts that would put even Jeopardy wunderkind Ken Jennings to shame. The trouble is when actually auditioning for quiz shows he suffers overwhelming panic attacks. So he whiles away the hours annoying his passengers with endless fountains of trivia. It's his awkward way of being sociable, but it tends to make people want to get as far away from him as possible.
Through chance Bruno and Francois come together. Francois mistakenly sees Bruno as the "sociable" person he needs to be and hires him as a teacher. Surely the easy going, fast talking Bruno is the perfect business acquisition to help him win his bet. Bruno desperate for attention sees Francois as a chance to have a true best friend. Of course the arrangement doesn't go exactly as planned and the dynamic between Bruno and Francois is the source of much hilarity.
Deftly directed by Patrice Leconte, who has been quietly turning out understated little masterpieces for over thirty years from Monsieur Hire to the more recent Man On The Train and Intimate Strangers, My Best Friend is heartwarming without being cloying. And in the teaming of Boon and Auteuil, previously seen together in The Valet, Leconte has found the perfect team for his subtle humane brand of humor. In fact their easy chemistry together has not been seen in French cinema since the iconic teaming of Gerard Depardieu and Patrick Dewaere in such classics as Going Places and Get Out Your Handkerchiefs.
RATING: 3 1/2 BANANAS
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