We shouldn't enjoy Priceless as much as we do. A film which, on the surface, is frothy and colourful and quite perky; a film driven by a young woman who enjoys the company of older men because of their bank balance than any other quality. A frothy, sugary film set in a place where it's difficult to take anybody, or anything, particularly seriously; a holiday resort divided into two by those much old and rich ploughing on through their fatuous existences and those much younger and much poorer who loath the rich individuals it is whom they must serve in order to make a living. Pierre Salvadori's film does the job; it sets up, depicts and explores to an extent that is wholly satisfying. The film doesn't delve to the depths that it could have done; this is not a sex-laden, depraved and wholly ugly world being depicted here wherein we squeam at the mere presence of these people. Rather, the film is softer on its subjects: it humanises more-so demonises – it doesn't offer excuses or ways out for them, but it takes on an approach and sticks to its guns.
The film is about lying; sloth and greed and yet it is the sort of film you can very quickly ease into once you've grasped the aesthetic and general tone of the animal. It's no masterpiece, but such is the effectiveness of most films coming out of France, it can mess about with this approach to this sort of subject matter, and still get away with it. We follow a young clerk at a hotel on the Côte d'Azur named Jean (Elmaleh), a man fulfilling the menial jobs at a luxurious establishment which plays host to France's richer personnel. When we first see him, he is a dogsbody out dog walking; a man struggling along, as those whom do not need to worry about such things, sit far away enough for the overall walk to be as arduous as it is and exist in their flawed and fatuous existence. During the walk, Jean will come to very briefly be near to a young woman named Irène (Tautou); her immediate presence propped up by a close up of a pair of expensive earrings sat perched in a shop window. They do not interact, but this will not be the first time Irène will be stood looming in the background ready to purchase something in the vicinity of our Jean.
Jean plods along in life, serving the rich and empty; hobbling along in his job, suffering the wrath of his supervisor should he doze off during his night-shift in this, his bartender-come-security guard-come-anything else role. The Irène of earlier enters his life when the elderly man she's working on, in so much she grants him her time and love on account of being provided with anything and everything she desires, passes out on the night of his birthday through the over consumption of alcohol. Bored and frustrated, Irène spills out into the complex only to bump into Jean – someone who becomes smitten with her when they bond and sleep together. But he is, of course, merely a lowly clerk and she won't stand for anyone who doesn't have at least half the annual income that could supplement a night in one of these sorts of hotels.
Disappearing in the morning, but reappearing a year later, she is still with her old boyfriend although but is on course to marry him. Jeans decides to act, and realises he must woo her away from this suitor: but how? She'll only go for very specific men who are endowed in the monetary department, and he only has so much cash. Coming to run out of money himself in trying to live this false existence, Jean must stoop to her level in playing pretty-younger-partner to a rich elderly woman just so that he may remain in her space.
Cue a story depicted by Salvadori, which although we predict from a fairly early point, and of which is told to us through an often aggravating 'tourist board' aesthetic, is actually quite good. Ultimately, it is a film about Jean becoming enraptured in a lifestyle where previously he played the black sheep; likewise, Irène's gradual belief that those whom they initially dismissed are actually rather decent and have a heart where it matters is depicted coming up the other way. There is nothing glaringly terrible about Priceless; recall that it is a character study about two people blinded by relationships, or the potential for relationships, who end up looking foolish because of their actions above most things.
The film is about lying; sloth and greed and yet it is the sort of film you can very quickly ease into once you've grasped the aesthetic and general tone of the animal. It's no masterpiece, but such is the effectiveness of most films coming out of France, it can mess about with this approach to this sort of subject matter, and still get away with it. We follow a young clerk at a hotel on the Côte d'Azur named Jean (Elmaleh), a man fulfilling the menial jobs at a luxurious establishment which plays host to France's richer personnel. When we first see him, he is a dogsbody out dog walking; a man struggling along, as those whom do not need to worry about such things, sit far away enough for the overall walk to be as arduous as it is and exist in their flawed and fatuous existence. During the walk, Jean will come to very briefly be near to a young woman named Irène (Tautou); her immediate presence propped up by a close up of a pair of expensive earrings sat perched in a shop window. They do not interact, but this will not be the first time Irène will be stood looming in the background ready to purchase something in the vicinity of our Jean.
Jean plods along in life, serving the rich and empty; hobbling along in his job, suffering the wrath of his supervisor should he doze off during his night-shift in this, his bartender-come-security guard-come-anything else role. The Irène of earlier enters his life when the elderly man she's working on, in so much she grants him her time and love on account of being provided with anything and everything she desires, passes out on the night of his birthday through the over consumption of alcohol. Bored and frustrated, Irène spills out into the complex only to bump into Jean – someone who becomes smitten with her when they bond and sleep together. But he is, of course, merely a lowly clerk and she won't stand for anyone who doesn't have at least half the annual income that could supplement a night in one of these sorts of hotels.
Disappearing in the morning, but reappearing a year later, she is still with her old boyfriend although but is on course to marry him. Jeans decides to act, and realises he must woo her away from this suitor: but how? She'll only go for very specific men who are endowed in the monetary department, and he only has so much cash. Coming to run out of money himself in trying to live this false existence, Jean must stoop to her level in playing pretty-younger-partner to a rich elderly woman just so that he may remain in her space.
Cue a story depicted by Salvadori, which although we predict from a fairly early point, and of which is told to us through an often aggravating 'tourist board' aesthetic, is actually quite good. Ultimately, it is a film about Jean becoming enraptured in a lifestyle where previously he played the black sheep; likewise, Irène's gradual belief that those whom they initially dismissed are actually rather decent and have a heart where it matters is depicted coming up the other way. There is nothing glaringly terrible about Priceless; recall that it is a character study about two people blinded by relationships, or the potential for relationships, who end up looking foolish because of their actions above most things.