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The Chateau (2001)
Released By: MGM Home Entertainment   Rating: R   In Theaters: N/A
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Studio: MGM Home Entertainment
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Jesse Peretz
Language: English
Official Website: http://www.thechateaufilm.com/
Theatrical Release: N/A
Home Video Release: N/A
Cast: Paul Rudd, Sylve Testud, Romany Malco, Didier Flamand
Published ID: 548519
UPC: 027616890009,
Plot: Two siblings with practically nothing in common are brought together by a real estate deal that threatens to leave them even more at odds than they were before in this semi-improvised comedy. Graham (Paul Rudd) and Rex (Romany Malco) are about as different as two brothers can get -- Graham is sloppy, lackadaisical, and in a state of puzzled wonderment about the world around him, while Rex (his real name is Alan, but he thinks Rex sounds better) is a tightly focused aspiring e-commerce tycoon. Graham and Rex also don't look much like brothers; Rex is adopted, which explains why he's black and Graham isn't. Graham and Rex don't see much of each other, but when a distant relative passes on and bequeaths them joint ownership of a home in the South of France, they fly out together to take a look at their new property. Graham and Rex discover that the estate is in dire need of repair and that the house's domestic staff -- butler Jean (Didier Flamand), cook Sabrine (Maria Verdi), caretaker Pierre (Philippe Mahon), and pretty maid Isabelle (Sylvie Testud) -- is still on hand and expecting to be kept on. Graham magnanimously promises the staff that they'll still have their jobs, but Rex discovers that the previous owner was deep in debt, and the only way to pay off the bills is to sell the place. So now they have to find a buyer who is willing to take the employees along with the home, none of which is helped by the fact that both Graham and Rex are vying for the attentions of Isabelle. The Chateau was shot using digital video equipment, then transferred to 35 mm film for its theatrical engagements. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
IDDateTimeTitleReviewHelpfulVotesTotalVotes
Awful Film - made it would seem by College Students
Added 12/16/2007

Why on earth a very talented actor like Paul Rudd would appear in an improvised college student style "B" Movie is beyond me ! It could have been tolerable if it had'nt been for the appalling quality of the picture quality - it was like watching a damaged VHS tape / not what you expect in 2007 on DVD - not a funny film either with the black brother in the movie using an obsenity every 2 nd word / i would love to know what sort of brothers they were ?? Not recommended unless you like to watch a students film project !!
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
A film that proves that digital video is not going to "save" the industry...
Added 12/4/2006

I saw the directors of this "film" on Charlie Rose, of all places (Charlie usually lends his TV show to more important filmmakers than the creators of this "film"). All they talked about was how easy it was to make their film with digital video cameras. I'm glad it was easy to make their film, because it certainly wasn't easy to watch it. This film is slight, stupid, boring, and terrible, from both a technical standpoint and an aesthetic one. It seems the filmmakers said "let's go to a chateau with some actors and real cheap DV cameras" and make a movie. Well, that's exactly what they did. When people proclaim DV the future, junk like this gets made, distributed, and even put on DVD. I have seen good, even great films, shot on DV, but this isn't even close. Technology ultimately doesn't matter if your films sucks, and this film sucks.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
Shoot the Americans - not the chicken and boar, PLEASE!!!!
Added 8/7/2005

After having seen this movie, I understand why Europeans, Arabs and everybody else hates Americans... There are scenes where we hoped the servants would either poison the two annoying guys from Kansas or just flat out shoot them in a hunting accident and make them disappear.
The story idea is great, but the acting and script is so poor and unworthy of being described in a review.
Jesse must either have personal ties to the building where he filmed-or really fallen in love with the building. Everytime the story could have taken off we get a stop with yet another look at the building itself.
It's a miracle to us, how anybody on here could call this movie funny or entertaining - the movie is bad, pretending it to be a satyre doesn't make it any better.

1 out of 8 people found this helpful.
Garbage
Added 11/17/2004

I cannot believe the black actor in this film is so sterotypical of the ghetto or uneducated image we've seen in films like "baby boy". Almost every line he had included a cuss word or n word. He didn't add a thing to the film except to be an annoyance. I don't know what this film was about. There are parts where there is a long silence with no talking. The whole movie was shot in the house with the exception of the maid when she finally leaves the house.
There are a few scenes where the characters are running around without any obvious aim. The film attempts to make the audience interested only to leave us saying, "what was all that excitement about?"

1 out of 5 people found this helpful.
Surprisingly good bijou of a movie
Added 4/24/2004

I'd been told this was a "small" movie, and wasn't expecting a great deal, but was thoroughly entertained. The plot develops in surprising ways; and the characters seem appropriately off-balance throughout. I understand portions of the movie were improvised, which may account for this. If so, it's a thoroughly appropriate tactic. The only word of warning is that you may need some French to understand the entertaining way it's fractured in this movie, and the iron control the French characters must be exercising to control their faces in response. Rule of thumb: if you don't know what a bijou is, you might not get it.

A fascinating exercise is to compare this movie with I Capture the Castle (2003), which develops the identical premise in a completely different way.


2 out of 3 people found this helpful.
Awful Film - made it would seem by College Students
Added 12/16/2007

Why on earth a very talented actor like Paul Rudd would appear in an improvised college student style "B" Movie is beyond me ! It could have been tolerable if it had'nt been for the appalling quality of the picture quality - it was like watching a damaged VHS tape / not what you expect in 2007 on DVD - not a funny film either with the black brother in the movie using an obsenity every 2 nd word / i would love to know what sort of brothers they were ?? Not recommended unless you like to watch a students film project !!
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
A film that proves that digital video is not going to "save" the industry...
Added 12/4/2006

I saw the directors of this "film" on Charlie Rose, of all places (Charlie usually lends his TV show to more important filmmakers than the creators of this "film"). All they talked about was how easy it was to make their film with digital video cameras. I'm glad it was easy to make their film, because it certainly wasn't easy to watch it. This film is slight, stupid, boring, and terrible, from both a technical standpoint and an aesthetic one. It seems the filmmakers said "let's go to a chateau with some actors and real cheap DV cameras" and make a movie. Well, that's exactly what they did. When people proclaim DV the future, junk like this gets made, distributed, and even put on DVD. I have seen good, even great films, shot on DV, but this isn't even close. Technology ultimately doesn't matter if your films sucks, and this film sucks.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
Shoot the Americans - not the chicken and boar, PLEASE!!!!
Added 8/7/2005

After having seen this movie, I understand why Europeans, Arabs and everybody else hates Americans... There are scenes where we hoped the servants would either poison the two annoying guys from Kansas or just flat out shoot them in a hunting accident and make them disappear.
The story idea is great, but the acting and script is so poor and unworthy of being described in a review.
Jesse must either have personal ties to the building where he filmed-or really fallen in love with the building. Everytime the story could have taken off we get a stop with yet another look at the building itself.
It's a miracle to us, how anybody on here could call this movie funny or entertaining - the movie is bad, pretending it to be a satyre doesn't make it any better.

1 out of 8 people found this helpful.
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