Would I Lie To You?

Would I Lie To You? Eddie Vuibert (Richard Anconina), is down on his luck and loses his last francs, stung, in a three card trick game. Irate, he snatches his cash and runs, chased by the con men. Through a happy accident he is rescued and his rescuer mistakes him for "one of our own..." a Jew. The plot then expands as our hero is offered a job in the family firm, rapid promotion, a hilarious Sabbat meal with his workmate and best friend Dov, and a crush on the boss' daughter.

This is essentially a romcom, and if it were in English I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it so much.

However, the microcosm of the French Jewish culture, specifically the Garment District is enticingly opened up, from the point of view of an outsider who is desperately trying to fake his way in this alien world. Vuibert's deception is paralleled by Dov who is screwing his mate's girlfriend - they keep it a secret because he's a bit of a rogue, and it might mess up a business deal.

Patrick the moneybags of the gang with a supermodel girlfriend, is cuckolded by Serge (Jose Garcia), the class clown. So alongside the comedy of embarrassment, (often painfully acute as when Vuibert calls the Rabbi "Mon Pere", or Father, as you would address a priest) there is a subtle sideways look at questions of honesty and the moral judgements we make when we lie, actively and by omission.

The cast give a good ensemble performance and the plot is engaging above the cliched love stories which we are fairly sure will result in a happy ending. All of the ladies are played by beautiful French actresses, you see why the guys are crazy about them, but they are solid, motivated, characters in their own right, not just eye candy, as is too often the case in Hollywood movies. If you want a few laughs from a movie that your mom will like too this is worth a look, if she's good with subtitles or speaks French, of course.