Mon meilleur ami (2006)

Idea: Out to dinner one evening, François Coste's (Daniel Auteuil) friends declare that they aren't friends at all - none of them even like him. Stupefied by this revelation, François makes an outrageous bet with his business partner, Catherine (Julie Gayet), to produce his best friend by the end of the month. François discovers in short order that no one he knows likes him, so he enlists the aid of a friendly taxi driver, Bruno (Dany Boon), to teach him the secret of making friends.

What I read about this movie claimed that the superior first two acts were ruined or nearly ruined by the contrivance in the last act. I disagree. The first two acts are so mean-spirited that the contrivance in the third act is a welcome break.

Co-writer and director Patrice Leconte's movie is supposed to be a comedy, but, by making this 50 year-old man's sudden discovery that he is friendless and his attempts to make new friends or reconnect with old ones the butt of every joke, well, there's nothing all that funny about that. There are definitely laughs along the way, but François is such a pathetic wreck that the first half of the movie is mostly sad. It's hard not to feel bad for him, even if he regularly prevents deeper relationships from forming because of how he behaves. It seems that Auteuil specializes in this sort of closed off, successful businessman, whether he plays him for pathos or comedy, but he does it so well that I don't see fit to complain.

Leconte and co-writer Jérôme Tonnerre give François a worthy contrast in Bruno, a man so friendly that it blinds François from seeing that he is equally friendless. The revelation as to why comes in a little late to make a difference to the narrative, but Boon plays Bruno so well that you still say, "Aw."

As for that bit of contrivance, it's executed well and played for laughs, so you might as well go along with it. Sure, it'd be better if the narrative didn't need contrivance to wrap itself up, but this isn't that kind of movie. For all the meanness at the beginning, the movie is sweet and funny enough to prevent it from being a waste of time but not enough of either to get you to care for too long after the credits roll, making it the perfect Sunday afternoon diversion. B