Summary
With the clothing industry becoming increasingly competitive, Eddie needs a new outlet
to save his business. When Vierhouten, the head of the dominant supermarket
chain Eurodiscount, offers him a contract, he accepts willingly, despite the concern
of his business partners Yvan and Dov. Sure enough, Eddie soon finds himself
the victim of a well-planned scam which allows Eurodiscount to steal his designs
and drive him into bankruptcy. Meanwhile, Serge has been dating an attractive
young heiress, using his rich cousin Patrick’s expensive car and credit account to convince
her that he is more upwardly mobile than he actually is. When Serge’s lies
eventually catch up with him he has no other option but to raise a huge sum of money.
Having learnt that his friend Eddie has dreamt up an ingenious scheme to get even with
the scheming Vierhouten, he offers his services...
Review
With nearly eight million spectators and very favourable film reviews, La Vérité
si je mens! 2 was by far the most successful French film comedy - and very nearly
the most popular film - to be released in 2001 (in fact, it was just beaten at the box
office by Le
fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain). Better written, better directed
and better acted than the 1997 film La Vérité si je mens, this is
a rare example of a sequel which is better than the original film. Whereas the first
film was a fairly average comedy-drama following the comic exploits of a group of working
class immigrants, this follow-up is far more stylish and entertaining, benefiting from
a more coherent narrative and far stronger characterisation.
The tone and quality of the film is set with the opening titles - a bizarre Arabic-style
parody of the familiar James Bond credit sequence. Although the film doesn’t go
all the way and attempt a thriller spoof, there are more than a few sly references to
the celebrated Bond movies. The film’s central plot concerns a David and Goliath
tussle between our heroes, Eddie and his chums, and the all-powerful clothing retail business,
personified by the villainous Vierhouten (brilliantly portrayed by Daniel Prévost).
This story is interwoven with a second strand which sees the hapless but loveable Serge
having an improbable love affair with a wealthy arts student, resorting to increasingly
desperate schemes to find the money to keep up the fiction that he is a wealthy business
man. The film balances these two strands very effectively, skilfully bringing in
additional subplots (such as Yvan having an affair with Dov’s woman) to keep up the comic
momentum.
Above all else, what most makes this such an entertaining and memorable film is José
Garcia’s engaging and energetic comic performance. Rightly, he takes centre stage
in this film and gets the funniest comic situations (which are just too numerous to list).
Relishing his role, Garcia has ample opportunity to show that he is not just a great comedian,
but a fine actor.
Despite all expectations, the sequel to the somewhat bland La Vérité
si je mens is rather a good film which appears to justify its positive press.
It broaches some serious subjects (such as the unscrupulous tactics of the big retailers)
but manages to give these an entertaining comic slant without resorting to cheap humour.
© James Travers 2002
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