Mon meilleur ami (2006/I)

Director:

Patrice Leconte

Writers:

Olivier Dazat (idea)
Patrice Leconte (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

6 December 2006 (Italy)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

It takes a lifetime to learn the meaning of friendship...Francois has 10 days.

Plot:

Catherine, refuses to believe that her business partner, the unlikeable François, has a best friend, so she challenges him to set up an introduction. Scrambling to find someone willing to pose as his best pal, François enlists the services of a charming taxi driver to play the part.

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Business | Partner | Friendship | Best Friend

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Daniel Auteuil	...	François
Dany Boon	...	Bruno
Julie Gayet	...	Catherine
Julie Durand	...	Louise
Jacques Mathou	...	Père Bruno
Marie Pillet	...	Mère Bruno
Élisabeth Bourgine	...	Julia (as Elizabeth Bourgine)
Henri Garcin	...	Delamotte
Jacques Spiesser	...	Letellier
Philippe du Janerand	...	Luc Lebinet
Fabienne Chaudat	...	Épouse Lebinet
Jean-François Kopf	...	Commissaire priseur
Alain Rimoux	...	Marchand dîner
Marc Faure	...	Ami dîner 1
Éric Frey	...	Ami dîner 2
Etienne Draber	...	Conférencier
Eric Naggar	...	Bigleux
Anne Le Ny	...	Femme casting Réponse à tout
Pierre Aussedat	...	Homme casting Réponse à tout
Audrey Marnay	...	Marianne
Andrée Damant	...	Dame train
Isabelle Spade	...	Banquière
Alain Choquet	...	Patron TV
Jean-Luc Mimo	...	Prêtre
Marie Mergey	...	Veuve
Sylvie Herbert	...	Chauffeur taxi 1
Omar Bekhaled	...	Chauffeur taxi 2
Zoon Besse	...	Chauffeur taxi 3
Jean-Claude Bolle-Reddat	...	Ami empourpré 1
Patrice Bornand	...	Ami empourpré 2
Christian Gazio	...	Déménageur
Rosine Young	...	Libraire
Cyril Couton	...	Collègue libraire
Nicky Marbot	...	Savoyard appartement
Yvon Martin	...	Savoyard galerie
Jeupeu	...	Savoyard Drouot
Caroline Frank	...	Hôtesse Delamotte
Eric Grandin	...	Maître d'hôtel
Brigitte Defrance	...	Dame vestiaire
Serge Faliu	...	Voix SOS Amitiés (voice)
Jean-Pierre Foucault	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marine Laporte	...	Britney (uncredited)
Titouan Laporte	...	Léonardo (uncredited)

Directed by
Patrice Leconte

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Olivier Dazat		idea
Patrice Leconte		writer
Jérôme Tonnerre		writer

Produced by
Olivier Delbosc	....	producer
Eric Jehelmann	....	development producer
Marc Missonnier	....	producer

Original Music by
Xavier Demerliac

Cinematography by
Jean-Marie Dreujou

Film Editing by
Joëlle Hache

Casting by
Gérard Moulévrier

Production Design by
Ivan Maussion

Costume Design by
Annie Périer		(as Annie Périer Bertaux)

Makeup Department
Laurent Bozzi	....	key hair stylist
Françoise Chapuis-Asselin	....	key makeup artist
Hugues Lavau	....	makeup artist
Joël Lavau	....	key makeup artist
Gill Robillard	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Christine De Jekel	....	production manager
Sébastien Didelot	....	assistant unit manager
Marie-Eve Graviou-Dural	....	unit production manager
David Moreillon	....	trainee unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hubert Engammare	....	first assistant director
Alissa Kliszowski	....	trainee assistant director
Christophe Ronchet	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Alain Bergé	....	head painter
Laurent Chalmandrier	....	construction coordinator
Pierre Cluzel	....	carpenter
Francine Crolbois	....	tapestry
Jacques Dalla-Mura	....	painter (as Jacky Dalla Mura)
Virginie Denis Roy	....	first assistant decorator (as Virginie Denis)
Patrice Fasola	....	head painter
Jean-Marc Haddad	....	digital artist
Jacques Kazandian	....	lead tapestry
Lionel Lesage	....	carpenter
Julien Mercher	....	second assistant decorator
Nicolas Raffy	....	property master

Sound Department
Annabel Acquaviva	....	boom operator
Fanchon Brûlé	....	dialogue editor
Boris Chapelle	....	assistant sound editor
Pascal Chauvin	....	foley artist
Isabelle Filippi	....	adr assistant
Michel Filippi	....	adr supervisor
Dominique Hennequin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Guillaume Hurmic	....	second sound assistant
Paul Lainé	....	sound
Lionel Lebras	....	adr boom operator
Stéphane Soye	....	boom operator
Franck Tassel	....	assistant foley artist
Jean-Alexandre Villemer	....	sound recordist
Christophe Vingtrinier	....	sound re-recording mixer
Francis Wargnier	....	sound editor

Visual Effects by
Benjamin Ageorges	....	digital artist
Stephane Bidault	....	visual effects supervisor
Nicolas Delbecq	....	digital artist
Jean-Antoine Lacolle	....	digital artist

Camera and Electrical Department
Claude Atanassian	....	gaffer
Jean Atanassian	....	electrician
Michel Atanassian	....	electrician
Bruno Boban	....	grip
Arthur Chassaing	....	trainee assistant camera
Julie Conte	....	additional second assistant camera
Stéphane Cry	....	electrician
Jean-Marie Leroy	....	still photographer
Nicolas Rideau	....	first assistant camera
Denis Scozzesi	....	key grip
Paul Triboulet	....	grip
Vincent Trividic	....	second assistant camera

Casting Department
Sara Babin	....	extras casting assistant
Virginie Berrotte	....	extras casting assistant
Catherine Deserbais	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sandrine Bernard	....	costume supervisor
Virginie Bluzat	....	costume trainee
Marie Trimouille	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Christian Dutac	....	color timer
Emmanuelle Mimran	....	assistant editor
Sylvie Van der Vorm	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Didier Lizé	....	music mixer

Other crew
Thierry Chapat	....	administrator
Marylène Dastugue	....	production secretary
Stéphanie Fouet	....	administrator
Astrid Gavard	....	press attaché: Moteur!
Marie Leconte	....	script supervisor (as Marie Leconte-Arroux)
Marion Pastor	....	script supervisor assistant
Dominique Segall	....	press attaché: Moteur!
Pascal Vallart	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• Fidélité Productions
• TF1 Films Production (co-production)
• Exception Wild Bunch (co-production)
• Lucky Red (co-production)
• Canal+ (participation)
• CinéCinéma (participation)
• Virtual Films (in association with)

Distributors

• Alamode Film (2007) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Alfa Films (2008) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Best Film CO (2007) (Poland) (theatrical)
• Blanco y Travesia (2007) (Venezuela) (theatrical)
• Central Partnership Ukraine (2007) (Ukraine) (theatrical)
• Central Partnership (2007) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Cineplex (2007) (Colombia) (theatrical)
• DeA Planeta Home Entertainment (2007) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Filmes Lusomundo (2007) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Hopscotch Productions (2007) (Australia) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2007) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Independenta Film (2007) (Romania) (theatrical)
• Lucky Red (2007) (Italy) (theatrical)
• NonStop Entertainment (2007) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Optimum Releasing (2007) (UK) (theatrical)
• Quality Films (2007) (Mexico) (theatrical)
• Telepol (2007) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Tuck (2007) (Serbia and Montenegro) (theatrical)
• Wild Bunch Distribution (2006) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Wild Bunch (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Wise Policy (2008) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Alamode Film (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Orlando Films (2006) (Israel) (all media)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2008) (Finland) (DVD)

Special Effects

• AutreChose

Other Companies

• D.C.A.  sound transfer
• Locafête  catering (as Locafête)
• Moteur!  public relations

Also Known As:

My Best Friend (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some strong language.

Runtime:

USA:90 min | USA:94 min | Canada:94 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | Argentina:94 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Ireland:12A | USA:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:All | Australia:M | Germany:o.Al. | France:U | Sweden:Btl | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-3 | Singapore:PG | Peru:14 | Norway:10 (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Parc des Princes - 24 Rue du Commandant du Guilbaud, Paris 16, Paris, France

Company:

Fidélité Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: When François and Louise sit in Bruno's taxi, during a cut showing the passengers the taxi is moving, but in the cuts before and after (showing the driver) the same cars can be seen parked on the side as if the taxi was standing still in between.

Quotes:

Bruno: Are you married?
François: I am. But she isn't so much any more!

Movie Connections:

References "Qui veut gagner des millions?" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Balaton Boléro

What a Beautiful Comedy!

I gave him 10/10, even if the screenplay isn't so strong, because this is a movie perfect in his genre:

I'm not a moralist, and I don't become upset if I see a comic film that uses vulgarities with the aim to make me laugh; if the movie is funny, I think it reached his goal, and it has my applause.

But this one, that hasn't vulgarities at all, made me laugh even much. In years in which seems that vulgarity is the better way to make laugh, this is a masterpiece.

A masterpiece to show everyone to spend 2 enjoyable hours together.

Talking about his weaknesses, I thought that last scenes could be directed in a better way, but the excellent Auteil's performance and the funnies gags, according to my tastes, fulfill everything.