My Best Friend

FLICK Friendship. What’s the perfect blendship? Director Patrice Leconte explores what goes into personal relationships in My Best Friend (Mon meilleur ami), a light comedy that would most likely become overly sentimental in the hands of a typical American director. The acting and directing capture appropriate tone and details to give insight to the main characters without becoming a thorough psychological examination on the nature of sociology.
Daniel Auteuil has a way of choosing just the right expressions and inflections when playing François, a successful businessman who has no problems dealing with antiques but doesn’t realize he lacks the necessary skills to deal with people on a close intimate basis. We get a glimpse of him caring more for things in the first scene when, at a funeral, he finagles a piece of furniture from the wife of the deceased.
When his business partner makes a bet with him that he can’t produce a best friend within 10 days, he finds the challenge is harder than he imagined. Searching for a pal, he meets taxi driver Bruno (Dany Boon) who is willing to show him ways of connecting with people and learning that if you’re ever in a jam, here I am. But becoming the other half of this odd couple may not have all the rewards Bruno is looking for.
The film shows that human interactions are not to be taken for granted and the difference between being a nice or friendly person is subtly distinguished with the bonds we make. In the end, you’ll wonder how many people you can truly say when other friendships have been forgot, ours will still be hot. My Score: 8 out of 10.