The Closet

A conservative businessman with a shy disposition, Francois Pignon (Daniel Auteuil) blends right into the accountancy department at a prominent French condom factory. However, when reports indicate that staff cuts must be made, Pignon begins, quite rightly, to fear for his job. His new neighbour, Belone (Michel Aumont) happens upon what could be the perfect plan to save Francois' job - if he pretends he's gay and gets the boot, Francois can sue for sexual discrimination. Of course, things don't go exactly according to plan.

On first glances, The Closet may appear to offer nothing new in terms of narrative or humour, and in truth, there's nothing really radical here. Where it excels, though, is with the director's ability to make the audience laugh and think, without compromising his artistic vision or patronising his viewers. Much of the credit in this regard has to lie with the two central performances of Auteuil and Depardieu. The pair imbue their characters with such depth and heart that it's impossible not to have empathy for the plight they find themselves in. Okay, things descend into farce in the climatic scenes, but The Closet, is an enjoyable and thoughtful excursion.