Mes Stars Et Moi (2008)

As I'm hardly the Zoukout type, I decided to pop the DVD Mes Stars Et Moi in, drop into bed and drink iced Milo in the aircon, for some effortless entertainment. It's a French comedy, so really quite brainless, perfectly suited to what seems like the hottest night ever. With my faves Catherine Deneuve and Emmanuelle Beart playing movie stars (together with a Mélanie Bernier - who dat?), taking revenge on a rabid fan, it sounded pure drag joy. Well, yes... and no. Kad Merad is absolutely wonderful as a misbegotten fan (a down-and-out cleaner) who wastes all his time and energy on following - and somehow controlling - his favorite stars' lives, neglecting family, pet and self. He's a joy to watch, and unexpectedly, outshines the divas. Working together on the same film, his three favorite actresses discover that they have the same problem--with the same fan and decide to join forces and settle their score with him. They were his idols, but they become his worst nightmare. It's a light as souffle plot, and not as stylish or stylized as it can be, and feels somehow low-budget. The stars feel under-exploited and one wants to see more of Beart and Deneuve having a catfight or three. Pedro Almodovar would have made something major out of this material.
This is one of the "show business and me" type of films, a genre which includes one of my all-time faves Notting Hill(1999). The script feels too glibly-formulated, and contains too few surprises, but has its moments nonetheless.