CLIENTE ('A FRENCH GIGOLO') is a bit of French fluff using the subject of the world's oldest profession in an up to date role reversal situation. The 'seller' in this story is a young male construction worker (Marco - Eric Caravaca) who is married to Fanny (isabelle Carré) who owns a beauty salon that is on hard times: Marco's income drops below tolerable and he decides to try being a gigolo so that his wife won't lose her salon. The 'buyer' or client is divorced television personality and executive Judith (Natalie Baye) who satisfies her personal needs by hiring men via the internet for lunchtime trysts. Marco (who uses the name Patrick for his secret profession) connects with Judith and Judith pays him well for his services until Fanny discovers the source of Marco/Patrick's income and threatens to end their marriage. Marco returns to the home front, but returning to his life as a construction worker hardly pays the bills, and as Fanny stands to lose her salon, she encourages Marco to re-enter the life of a gigolo. Judith hires him again and a growing bond results from what should be a business arrangement. How Judith copes with the changes and the decisions Marco/Patrick makes fleshes out this light comedy that contains just enough of a bite to make it realistic.
There are other sidebar stories - Judith's sister's her affair with an American Indian, Marco's beloved Grandmother, Fanny's obnoxious live-in sister and Fanny's mother, and the reaction at the television studio by Judith's compatriots and their responses to her life style - that keep the story floating with very humorous and at times very tender diversions. Natalie Baye is her usual stunning self and manages to keep her character from becoming a parody. Josiane Balsako directs her own screenplay based on her own novel and understands the delicacies as well as the humor of the subject matter. It all works well and provides an evening of French comedy with a twist.
Grady Harp
