Après vous (After You) (2003)

57% of critics liked it
(65 reviews)
66% of users liked it
(3,554 ratings)

Antoine (Daniel Auteuil of The Closet), the busy manager of a fancy restaurant, cuts through a park in his rush to meet his frustrated girlfriend, Christine (Marilyne Canto), when he stumbles across Louis (José Garcia) attempting to hang himself. Antoine foils his efforts and takes the intensely… More Antoine (Daniel Auteuil of The Closet), the busy manager of a fancy restaurant, cuts through a park in his rush to meet his frustrated girlfriend, Christine (Marilyne Canto), when he stumbles across Louis (José Garcia) attempting to hang himself. Antoine foils his efforts and takes the intensely phobic, despondent klutz home, much to Christine's chagrin. Lovesick Louis recalls that he's sent his "suicide note" to his elderly grandparents, so Antoine goes with him to intercept the letter. Antoine finds himself taking responsibility for Louis' life, getting him a job as a sommelier at the restaurant (despite his total lack of knowledge about wine and his nervousness around strangers) and going to visit Louis' ex-girlfriend, Blanche (Sandrine Kiberlain of Alias Betty), a florist, and the cause of his heartbreak. Antoine finds that Blanche has a new boyfriend, and cunningly arranges for her to discover his infidelity. But when he offers Blanche comfort, she begins to feel drawn to him. With Antoine's encouragement, Louis gradually develops a newfound confidence, dressing better and excelling at work, all with an eye toward winning Blanche back. Antoine, meanwhile, is falling apart as he gets more involved in trying to fix Louis' life. Christine breaks up with him, and he struggles to hold it together at work. Worse yet, he finds himself increasingly attracted to Blanche, and conflicted in his allegiance to Louis. Pierre Salvadori's romantic farce Après vous... was shown at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Rendezvous With French Cinema in 2004. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 49 min.
Directed By: Pierre Salvadori
Written By: Benoît Graffin
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Dec 17, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Nov 8, 2005
Studio: Paramont Classics

Critic Reviews

Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic
A light, entertaining comedy with little, if any, redeeming value, other than a few good laughs.
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer
Although the ingredients are excellent, the result is an overcooked comedy more often provoking indigestion than laughter.
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
A lightweight farce that remains enjoyable primarily for the time spent with Auteuil.
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
From the beginning I found the plot contrivances more than a little forced, and the behavior of the various characters improbably extreme.
Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune
The premise is razor thin, but [Daniel Auteuil] sells it with everything he's got.
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
The misunderstandings and crisscrossing agendas never build to critical mass; the movie doesn't go insane, and it needs to.
Rex Roberts, Film Journal International
Salvadori and his fellow screenwriters invent clever complications to keep us amused.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
This dumb romantic comedy is not in the same class with Jean Renoir's masterful Boudu Saved From Drowning, though it toys with the same plot line.
Sean Means, Salt Lake Tribune
Auteuil... finds himself in Antoine's situation, helping out a hapless wreck and being dragged down in the process.
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone, TheMovieChicks.com
The movie doesn't ask you to laugh at somebody's unhappiness, just the incredibly absurd situations that arise when misery has two goofballs for company.

Read all 10 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Cynthia S

Quirky. Cute. Well done..but as an admirer of French films, and particularly those starring Daniel Auteuil, I found Apres Vous to be a bit of a disappointment. The film has funny moments, but not hilarious moments. The premise of the story seemed ripe for both non-stop laughs and… More
Quirky. Cute. Well done..but as an admirer of French films, and particularly those starring Daniel Auteuil, I found Apres Vous to be a bit of a disappointment. The film has funny moments, but not hilarious moments. The premise of the story seemed ripe for both non-stop laughs and great character development--neither is really accomplished. Not a bad movie at all, just left me a little unsatisfied by the end.