The Valet

2006 1h 25m FR

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 563

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Caught by tabloid paparazzi with his mistress Elena, a famous and beautiful fashion model, billionaire Pierre Levasseur tries to avoid a divorce by inventing a preposterous lie. He uses the presence of a passerby in the photo to claim to his wife that it's not him Elena is seeing but the other man, one François Pignon. Pignon is a modest little man who works as a parking valet. To make the story convincing, Elena has to move in with Pignon.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Gad Elmaleh
François Pignon
Alice Taglioni
Éléna Simonsen
Daniel Auteuil
Pierre Levasseur
Kristin Scott Thomas
Christine Levasseur
Richard Berry
Maître Foix
Virginie Ledoyen
Emilie
Dany Boon
Richard
Michel Jonasz
André Pignon

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Francis Veber
Writers: Francis Veber, Declan May
Languages: French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 20 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Francis Veber, shot by Robert Fraisse. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Alexandre Desplat. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Georges Klotz shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Gad Elmaleh and Alice Taglioni and Daniel Auteuil carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0449851 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Francis Veber directs. Robert Fraisse behind the camera. Alexandre Desplat scores. Georges Klotz cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 20 years ago.
3Directed by Francis Veber, shot by Robert Fraisse. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Alexandre Desplat. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Georges Klotz shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Gad Elmaleh and Alice Taglioni and Daniel Auteuil carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0449851 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.