The Valet (2006, Francis Veber)

Why do I keep bothering with Veber? I don't expect histrionics from my farces, but the dude's movies are so anti-dramatic that scenes that might lend the characters a little, I dunno, CHARACTER are elided completely. Like, say, the scene where our hero actually meets the supermodel for the first time- rather than allowing us to observe them getting first impressions of one another, so as to have those impressions transcended later on, she just fucking shows up in his apartment all of a sudden. What gives? Are these people only meant to serve as pawns in this dopey plot? That's pretty boring in my opinion. Also, for a movie that barrels through its narrative like Refrigerator Perry, this thing is pretty damn slack. Plus it's chintzy-looking and hardly anyone outside of Kristen Scott Thomas seems to be having any fun. Watching a great actor like Daniel Auteuil mugging and foaming at the mouth is just depressing. Rating: 3 out of 10.