Stars: Daniel Auteuil, Gerard Depardieu, Thierry Lhermitte, Jean Rochefort, Alexandra Vandernoot, Michele Laroque, Stanislas Crevillen

Director: Francis Veber

Summary: The story of Francois Pignon, an office assistant, who pretends that he is gay in order to save his job... His work colleagues struggle to come to terms with the news... French dialogue with subtitles.

In this witty commentary on political correctness in the work place, Francois Veber directs the excellent Daniel Auteuil as Francois Pignon, better known around the office as 'Pignon le Mignon' (Pignon the Cutey). Poor Pignon is helplessly misunderstood and pathetically down on his luck. A senior executive at a small corporation, Pignon overhears rumors that he is going to be fired. On top of a difficult relationship with his ex-wife and a failing relationship with his sullen teenage son, the idea of losing his job and becoming incapable of making alimony payments is unfathomable. Pignon feels totally defeated--like a real loser. That's why, when Pignon's next door neighbor (Michel Aumont) offers a solution to his problems, Pignon is quick to accept: He comes out of the closet, convincing his coworkers that he is gay, and making it improbable that the company would fire him at risk of legal action. But before he knows it, Pignon's plan has backfired and metamorphosed in hilarious ways, causing a string of bizarre office-related situations and family dilemmas that are both complex and comic.

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A film about society's attitude to sexuality, with a lighthearted dig at political correctness gone mad, The Closetis French farce in the tradition of Moliere: a man pretends to be something he's not, people begin treating him differently, his lie escalates out of all proportion, and comedy ensues. Francois Pignon (Daniel Auteuil) is a dull, divorced accountant in a French rubber-processing factory whose primary product is condoms. The morning of the company photograph he overhears he is going to be fired. After half-heartedly trying to kill himself, he meets his new next-door neighbour who suggests a plot that will keep him from losing his job: he should pretend he's gay, and the neighbour will doctor the photographs and send them to his boss to prove it.

The comedy springs from people's reactions to Pignon's alleged homosexuality. The managing director puts him on a Gay Pride parade float with a condom on his head, his estranged son suddenly thinks he's cool, his female boss catches on to the scam and begins to think that Pignon is not as banal as she first thought, and the homophobic, macho personnel director--a great performance from Gerard Depardieu--discovers his sensitive side. It's well directed by Francis Veber (writer of the original Three Fugitives), who moves the gentle action along masterfully, providing some laugh-out-loud moments and getting some great performances from his ensemble cast. Overall, it's an uplifting comedy about prejudice and how a Mr Nobody becomes a somebody. --Kristen Bowditch

Main Language:	French
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Theatrical Trailer, Cast And Crew Biographies, Optimum Trailer Reel
Subtitles:	English
Year:	2001
Release Date:	September 23, 2002
Runtime:	85 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	O P T D 0013
Keywords:	Subtitled, Comedy, General, Closet, French, Placard
Genre:	Comedy