The Valet Synopsis: A movie star enlists a parking valet at a Beverly Hills restaurant to pose as her lover to cover for her relationship with a married man.
Directed by: Richard Wong
Written by: Bob Fisher, Rob Greenberg
Released: May 20, 2022
Runtime: 124 minutes
Rated: PG-13
Antonio (Eugenio Derbez) is a valet who is separated from his wife, Isabel (Marisol Nichols), and lives with his mother. Olivia (Samara Weaving) is a famous actress having an affair with a married man named Vincent. When Antonio appears in a paparazzi photo of Olivia and Vincent together, the pair decide to pass off Antonio as Olivia’s boyfriend in order to protect their relationship.
The Valet is a remake of the 2006 French film La Doublure (The Valet) directed by Francis Veber. I have not yet seen that film, but from what I can tell, it received some pretty favorable reviews. And you know how Hollywood loves a good remake of foreign films!
Since I haven’t seen the original film, I can’t really compare the two, but I have to say that I really enjoyed The Valet. To call it a straight romantic comedy would be a bit misleading. Yes, there is comedy and romance, but the relationship between the two main leads – Samara Weaving and Eugenio Derbez – follows a less traditional rom-com path.
When done correctly, I really adore any romantic comedy that subverts my own expectations, and The Valet definitely did that. Having not known the plot, I went into it blind and was glad that I couldn’t quite predict the outcome.
Weaving and Derbez are truly fabulous on-screen together. Antonio and Olivia’s lives could not be more different, but they both get a taste of the other’s world, opening their eyes to the good and the bad of what exists outside of their own life. It’s Antonio’s journey as much as it is Olivia’s, which is why I think the movie works as well as it does.
This movie made me laugh out loud quite a few times. Carmen Salinas (who passed away last December) steals every scene she’s in with her comedic timing, and Weaving proves her star power as a calculating actress with hidden vulnerabilities. Max Greenfield (who will always be Schmidt to me) is smarmy and slimy as Vincent, Olivia’s lover. The rest of the supporting cast, especially Antonio’s friends and family, are all quite entertaining and chaotic, reminding me a bit of Toula’s family in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
The Valet does a fine job of balancing the romance and humor with sentimentality. I may or may not have shed a few tears (spoiler: I did). I would say give The Valet a watch, even if you’re not a hardcore rom-com fan. As I said, it’s not exactly your typical, by-the-book romantic comedy, so I do think it can appeal to a broader mass of movie fans.
Watched: 05.21.2022
Notable Song: A Song in My Heart by Gaby Moreno
