Prete-moi ta main: I Do

Luis Costa (Chabat) is a successful perfumer with an idyllic life.  However, the women in his life, his mother Genevieve (Lafont) and five sisters (Barrault, Deguy, Lewkowicz, Monot, Mouchel), want him to get married.  They call a family meeting, called G7, to vote on the decision.  As they proceed to create an online dating profile and set him up with all their friends, Luis devises his own elaborate plan.

He convinces Emma (Gainsbourg), his best friend Pierre-Yves' (Oestermann) sister, to pose as his girlfriend / fiance.  He tells her how to charm the women in his life, so that they will adore her... then everything will end just before the wedding, so they never bring up marriage again.  Things go a little too well, and the women blame him for the non-wedding, and he needs a new plan.


I found this film on Netflix and was intrigued by the title I Do: How to Get Married and Stay Single (which is the English title and the tagline).  I had just watch both of the OSS 117 films (France's answer to James Bond) and was interested in watching more French comedies.  It took awhile, but I finally had time to watch the film, and was not disappointed.

The film is very funny.  Alain Chabat, who is the leading man, served as a writer and producer on the film, and came up with the initial concept.  He carries the role of Luis well and has great comedic timing.  Charlotte Gainsbourg meets him beat for beat and proves to be his comedic equal.  Both, and Bernadette Lafont (who plays Luis' mother) were nominated for the Cesar Awards (the national film awards in France) for their performances in this film.

Don't let the fact that you have to read subtitles keep you from experiencing this film.

Prête-moi ta main: I Do (2006) 90 minutes
Director: Eric Lartigau
Starring: Alain Chabat as Luis Costa
Charlotte Gainsbourg as Emma
Bernadette Lafont as Genevieve Costa
Wladimir Yordanoff as Francis Bertoff
Gregoire Oestermann as Pierre-Yves
Veronique Barrault as Catherine
Marie-Armelle Deguy as Axelle
Katia Lewkowicz as Carole
Louise Monot as Maxine
Luce Mouchel as Marie