Le Coach (Director: Olivier Doran): Max Chene (Richard Berry) is a “coach” who helps to motivate everybody from professional athletes to government ministers to business executives. After his gambling debts get out of control and his wife throws him out, he is approached to take on a unique client. Patrick Marmignon (Jean-Paul Rouve) is an ineffectual manager at a company who is about to make a very important presentation to a potential Chinese investor. The CEO hires Max to coach him but tells him he must not let Marmignon know that he’s being coached. Why? Because Marmignon is the nephew of the company’s Chairman of the Board. At least that’s what everyone thinks.
This typical comedy setup never really catches fire, although there were a few mildly funny scenes. It’s a typical buddy comedy in which each character learns something from the other. In Max’s case, he hasn’t learned to apply his coaching techniques to his own life, despite his cool exterior and seductive way with women. For Marmignon, he must learn to overcome his milquetoast personality and succeed, not only in business, but with the woman of his dreams, who just happens to be the head of HR at his company. It’s all a bit silly, but it did entertain me for 90 minutes or so.
(6/10)
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
