In the working-class Paris suburb of Montreuil, Jimmy's restaurant, the Bombay Bar, is on the verge of being closed down by creditors. Jimmy is despondent -- the fact that his wife is about to have a baby isn't helping matters -- when he and his business partner Fifi find unlikely inspiration in the form of "Riches et Sympas," a TV show dedicated to the lives of the rich and famous. Figuring that getting the "right" people to frequent their business will ensure its reputation, Jimmy and Fifi persuade Jimmy's friend, the laid-back, unemployed Mike, to pose as a nobleman and lure his moneyed associates to the Bombay Bar. Mike agrees, and after crashing a posh charity ball, he finds himself being taken in by the likes of society fixture Arthus de Poulignac and Evrard, the latter of whom ensconces Mike in his private mansion. Unfortunately, Mike soon becomes a little too fond of his newly-acquired lifestyle, leaving Jimmy to wonder what to do with the monster he unwittingly created.
Acting
Lambert Wilson's aristocratic deadpan is *chef's kiss*.
Costume
Mike's transformation from tracksuit to tailored deception.
Writing
Sharp satire of French class anxiety beneath the farce.
Director
Fabien Onteniente
Samuel Le Bihan
Mike
Lambert Wilson
Arthus de Poulignac
Bruno Solo
Jimmy
Estelle Larrivaz
Lydia
Lorànt Deutsch
Fifi
Ornella Muti
Camilla Balbeck
Ariadna Gil
Andréa Dionakis
José Garcia
Mellor da Silva
Guillaume Gallienne
Evrard
Elli Medeiros
Danièle Joubert
Aurore Clément
Nicole Chutz
Jovanka Sopalovic
Natacha
Marina Tomé
ANPE employee
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Fabien Onteniente made his name with working-class ensemble comedies; this was his first real stab at satirizing the bourgeoisie he usually celebrated.
The film gently mocks France's obsession with 'la télé réalité' before it exploded — those 'Riches et Sympas' shows were basically proto-Kardashians with better wine.
FR
