The Grand Role (Le Grand Rôle) (2004)

63% of critics liked it
(19 reviews)
40% of users liked it
(465 ratings)

An actor who lands the role of his life is forced into an even greater real-life acting challenge in this comedy drama from France. Maurice Kurtz (Stéphane Freiss) is an actor who is passionately in love with his wife, Perla (Bérénice Bejo), and wishes he could provide a better life for her. Maurice… More An actor who lands the role of his life is forced into an even greater real-life acting challenge in this comedy drama from France. Maurice Kurtz (Stéphane Freiss) is an actor who is passionately in love with his wife, Perla (Bérénice Bejo), and wishes he could provide a better life for her. Maurice and his friends Simon (Lionel Abelanski), Sami (Olivier Sitruk), and Edouard (Stéphan Guérin-Tillié) work for a company that dubs American films into French when they're not looking for acting work, and when they learn that famous American filmmaker Grichenberg (Peter Coyote) is coming to Paris to shoot a Yiddish-language version of The Merchant of Venice, they all show up at a "cattle call" audition hoping to land bit parts. To his great surprise, Maurice's reading wins him the leading role of Shylock, and he quickly passes the good news along to Perla. As it happens, Perla needs some good news -- she's just been diagnosed with cancer, and her doctor tells her she's not long for the world. Maurice is comforted by the fact that his good fortune is lifting Perla's spirits, so when Grichenberg recasts him a few days later with a major American star, Maurice and his buddies devise a variety of scams to convince Perla that her husband is still making the movie that will make him famous. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 26 min.
Directed By: Steve Suissa
Written By: Daniel Cohen, Steve Suissa, Sophie Tepper
Genres: Drama, Romance, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Feb 26, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Nov 22, 2005
Studio: First Run Features

Critic Reviews

Eddie Cockrell, Variety
Predictable yet charming.
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
Bereft of real laughs while lacking the depth to make its emotional aspects more moving, the film never manages to assimilate its shifting tones and ultimately seems trivial.
Jonathan Curiel, San Francisco Chronicle
Their characters are compelling and completely realistic, the acting is first-rate, and many scenes in this black-and-white movie (which was shot in different countries, including Saudi Arabia) are breathtaking.
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
It's a weirdly winning illustration of love that O. Henry himself would have loved.
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
Bittersweet and sophisticated.
Anita Gates, New York Times
A touching Parisian love story about an actor and his dying wife.
Doris Toumarkine, Film Journal International
Favors melodramatic and quirky twists, never bothering to lay down substantive ballast.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...works as long as one doesn't think about it too much...
Andy Klein, Los Angeles CityBeat
...a diverting little comedy/drama, with a good central performance from Freiss, but...nothing much more on display.
Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
Director Steve Suissa balances the comedy and the tragedy of the material effectively
Scott Foundas, L.A. Weekly
As in many of his films, Jaglom establishes a striking intimate rapport with his female subjects.
, E! Online
Funny, romantic and poignant all at the same time, Le Grand Role is quite a star.
Kim Williamson, Boxoffice Magazine
A good one that could please most specialized audiences, especially couples.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
Fails to summon a compelling parallel between Merchant's anti-Semitic baggage and the Jewish Maurice's own struggles as an actor.
Harvey S. Karten, Compuserve
Stephane Freiss's monologue from 'The Merchant of Venice' would make Al Pacino envious.