aka ‘A Frenchman’s Guide to Love’
Jed (Hugh Bonneville) prepares to interview a French director and self-appointed expert on the nature of love, Thierry Grimandi (Eric Cantona). The worldly and somewhat jaded Jed is dead-set on dismissing the auteur's musings as pompous and, well, French, until his own relationship with Cheryl starts to fall apart and he is forced to re-evaluate the elusive subject. Soon everyone is talking about love: his relationship counsellor; drinking buddy Marcus; and Marcus' girlfriend Sophie. Beginnings, endings, tricks… could the French be on to something?
Hugh Bonneville writes: “The script by Aschlin Ditta had me laughing on page one. I didn’t think for a second that the producers would secure the services of football legend Eric Cantona to play the enigmatic auteur filmmaker, but they did… and he was fantastic to work with. Before Eric’s arrival on set the Exec Producer addressed the company, asking everyone to treat him as just another actor. Fat chance. Within seconds there was a queue of electricians asking for his autograph, keen to discuss the finer points of his career at Manchester United.”
Our thanks to Vertigo for this screening.