The playwright’s affinity for words has left a mark on him, atypical for a director but convenient for a critic – he’s a pleasure to quote. “I love people for whom the good fairy has no gifts left” (Veber). The protagonist of his new film, François Pignon (Auteuil), is an unremarkable accountant at a large factory, considered a bore by everyone. His wife has left him, and the factory management is planning to fire him in the next round of layoffs. Upon learning his fate, Pignon decides to jump out of the window, but at the last moment, he is stopped by a good fairy (“a miraculous savior,” as the author, clearly familiar with the structural analysis of fairy tales, puts it) in the guise of his new neighbor Belone (Lhermitte), who suggests he change his life instead of ending it.
A New Beginning with a Twist
Such a beginning (“a man starts a new life”) has been seen in dozens of films, but the crux of the matter lies in the continuation. At the suggestion of his neighbor, a rumor is spread at the factory that Pignon is homosexual. The administration, fearing accusations of political incorrectness, is forced to cancel the dismissal, and employees cast intrigued glances at François. A different opinion leads to a different attitude, to which Pignon is forced to react in some way – and the flywheel of the plot gradually spins up to full power. To Veber’s credit, he set himself the task of “under no circumstances achieving a comic effect at the expense of homosexuality.” “The film is not about homosexuality, but about the influence of other people’s opinions and what rumors can do to you, regardless of your behavior.” Indeed, the hero behaves as usual, not pretending to be gay, which further confuses those around him, making their reaction doubly inadequate.
A Smart Comedy
“The Closet” belongs to the rare type of “smart” comedies, whose authors, unlike the creators of numerous “stupid” crafts (like the Farrelly brothers or the Wayans brothers), do not believe that in the pursuit of box office success, all means of laughter are good – up to throwing cakes, emitting gases, and banana peels underfoot. Veber is not attracted to tickling – he, although he lives in America, is a true Frenchman. His dialogues always contain something that elevates them above the situation. When Belone’s kitten runs away, Pignon promises to find it and brings one back. “How do you know it’s my kitten?” Belone asks. “You told me that yours had no special features, and this one doesn’t.” “Yes, but that doesn’t mean it’s mine.” “But you don’t see the difference?” “I don’t.” “Then it’s yours.” At the critical moment of this philosophical dialogue about similarity, difference, and identification, naturally, a meow is heard, and another kitten, indistinguishable from the one brought, appears on the doorstep. Questions for homework: is practice the criterion of truth, and what is identity in the light of cloning practice?
Political Correctness and Social Commentary
Although the film, as already mentioned, does not concern homosexuality, it naturally illuminates curious aspects of public life related to the “terror of political correctness,” although it is difficult to vouch for the fact that Veber did not Americanize his France in the film. In any case, while watching, one recalls the famous American anecdote about who has the best chance of taking the chair of Russian literature at an American university (answer: “a one-legged black lesbian”).
It remains to add that the brew concocted by Veber is seasoned with the excellent performance of magnificent French actors. Depardieu and Rochefort need no recommendations, and our viewers could have seen Auteuil in “Queen Margot,” where he wonderfully played Henry IV, in “The Girl on the Bridge,” and in “The Widow of Saint-Pierre Island,” where his acting is also beyond praise.