Priceless – Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray Reviews, Film, Reviews



Priceless is a romantic comedy filled with transformations and deceptions on the French Riviera. The biggest change is that of star Audrey Tautou. We’ve grown used to her being the mousey gal from Amelie, Dirty Pretty things and The Da Vinci Code. For this film she loses her cute reserve nature and emerges as a gold digging seductress. She bangs the rich and elderly during their vacations in Monaco. If you’re grey and swimming in green, she’s your poolside companion. Imagine Anna Nicole Smith without orange Cheetos crumbs on her teeth and tanktop.

Audrey enjoys the lush life at a posh hotel with her latest sugar daddy. While he slumbers, she sneaks down to the bar and encounters the youthful Gad Elmaleh. There’s no bartender on duty so Gad volunteers to make her a champagne cocktail. She lets him take her up to his hotel room – the best suite in the hotel. She’s so taken by her new lover that she dumps her Sugar Daddy. This turns out not to be a great career move since Gad is the hotel bartender, among his other duties. They’re tossed out of the penthouse and down the service elevator.

She leaves the fool, but he can’t get her out of his heart. He tracks her down and uses his credit card to keep her in the jet-set lifestyle. This doesn’t last too long as the hotel runs the plastic and watches it melt. The authorities are called. He’s about to discover what his ass is worth on the cellblock in cigarettes. But salvation comes when a middle aged woman claims him as her boy toy. Gad’s sugar cougar looks like a calmer version of Hedwig from Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Audrey turns into his mentor with lessons on how to soak the rich. As Audrey transforms Gad into a seaside gigalo, she finds him more alluring. She wants a taste of her creation. Can they play on the side without upsetting their sugar lovers?

Priceless is a first-rate romantic comedy. The script doesn’t go for the usual flow of Gad trying to convert Audrey. He’s not merely a blue collar prince in shining armor. He walks a mile in her shoes. Those being expensive shoes bought by a lover. He looks believable going from the schmo to the stud. He doesn’t over play his character. At some point Hollywood will water down this script for a remake starring Shia LaBeouf and Jessica Alba but you should see this in Priceless in its native French tongue. There once was a time when a sassy French romantic comedy could have a healthy run on the art house circuit. This movie would have done Francis Veber level business. Sadly we don’t live in those times anymore. Priceless is a worth the cost of reading subtitles.

The video is 2.35:1 anamorphic. The colorful scenes average around 30 Mbps. The audio is French 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround. You can hear the soothing breeze coming off the Mediterranean Sea. The subtitles are in English and Spanish.

Deleted Scenes (35:28) has plenty of moments that didn’t make it in the film. The only bad part is they aren’t subtitled. If you don’t understand French, you’ll have to rely on the physical comedy aspect of the scenes.

Outtakes (5:21) is the blooper reel. These folks knew how to be cut ups around the slate. There’s also a hilarious moment when the crew sneaks up behind an actress during her dolly shot scene. I think Audrey cusses when she blows a line. Since this isn’t subtitled, I haven’t a clue.

Priceless is a charmer. It’s perfect for a night when you want to escape to the Riviera and soak off the wealth of the jetsetters.

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First Look Pictures presents Priceless. Directed by Pierre Salvadori. Starring Audrey Tautou & Gad Elmaleh. Written by Pierre Salvadori & Beno’t Graffin. Running time: 105 minutes. Rated R. Released on DVD: November 18, 2008. Available at Amazon.

Joe Corey is the writer and director of "Danger! Health Films" currently streaming on Night Flight and Amazon Prime. He's the author of "The Seven Secrets of Great Walmart People Greeters." This is the last how to get a job book you'll ever need. He was Associate Producer of the documentary "Moving Midway." He's worked as local crew on several reality shows including Candid Camera, American's Most Wanted, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and ESPN's Gaters. He's been featured on The Today Show and CBS's 48 Hours. Dom DeLuise once said, "Joe, you look like an axe murderer." He was in charge of research and programming at the Moving Image Archive.