THE KING OF MY CASTLE/  LE LABERN

France, 2024, 98 minutes, Colour.

Audran Cattn, Kad Merad, Clovis Cornillac, Isabelle Carre, Jade Pedri, Marc Riso.

Directed by Alexandre Charlot and Franck Magnier.

Googling reveals that the French title, Le Labern, mean domestic and valet, but can extend to flunky or stooge. In fact, the central character here will have to become “the valet of the piddle”.

This film is a French remake of the very successful Russian film, Son of a Rich. It has been pointed out that the French screenplay follows the Russian film in great detail. (And, in Russia, there was a sequel.)

The film starts in the world of affluence and big business, a CEO urged by his board to resign. There are criticisms of his son, spoilt, extravagant, a bevy of friend hangers on, ready to invade hotels in takeover at any time. The son takes no notice of his father.

Then the screenplay moves into the world of the imagination, the director, writers and some of the cast, previously involved in such satiric comedy is as Welcome to the Sticks, Welcome to the South, and some of the Asterix films.

Clovis Cornillac, certainly one of those associated with these films, plays a self-important film director who is employed by the father, no financial difficulties at all, to set up a location set as the 18^th century, the Castle, costumes and decor, actors and locals fulfilling the roles, in contact with the director, improvising the episodes of the drama as required.

The son, Louis, is drugged, left in this setting, waking, thinking he has time travelled. There are many amusing sequences, Louis finding himself as a labern, carrying his bucket, attending an aristocrat in his toilet, living in a barn, old clothes, transformed into a labern. The aim of the exercise, of course, is to make him come to terms with himself, face reality, transform.

We know that it is going to be challenge, quite a range of episodes on the way, falling in love, having to stand in for an aristocrat and endure a public beating, a feigned Viking attack and the challenge to rescue the young lady with whom he has fallen in love…

There is also the story of the ambitious film director, the anxious father, his friend who is also involved in the filmmaking.

What If…?

1. Based on a Russian film? Son of a Rich? Close adaptation?
2. French humour, characters, satire, the wealthy, ordinary citizens, the spoilt generation? The device of setting up the film, the 18^th century village, the citizens acting, the scenario? The moral intention?
3. The title, the meaning, domestic, valet, leading to stooge and flunky? Here the valet of the piddle?
4. The situation, the wealthy businessman, the board meeting, the criticisms, his resignation? The criticism of his son, the son and his friends, invading the hotel, partying, the confrontation with his father?
5. Louis, brought up in wealth, spoilt, arrogant, his friends and their lifestyle? His father exasperated?
6. The friendship with Christian Parmentier/Chris Palmer? Filmmaker and the ambitions? Personality, self-confident? The commission to make the film?
7. The father, his relationship with Helene, her participation in the film? Chris and his jealousy, Helene as an assistant? Her input?
8. The extravaganza of setting up the set, costumes and decor, the actors? The lavish recreation of the 18^th century?
9. Chris, his ambitions, filmmaking, the scenario, the improvising, the connection with the actors, their responding to direction?
10. Louis, the incident in the street, his being drugged, waking up in the 18^th century, his believing this, time travel, adapting to the 18^th century?
11. Louis finding himself as a servant, the valet of the piddle, his bucket, the count and his associates, in the field, the toilet episode and the analysis, health?
12. Louis and Sylvain, the accommodation, Louis and the different world, Sylvain encouraging him? His work of service, the treatment by the aristocracy, being looked down on? The encounter with Isabeau, sexual, her running off? Lison and her work with the horses, directed towards Louis, the encounters, her performance, the beginning of his infatuation?
13. The aristocracy, the count, the treatment of Louis, the humiliations?
14. Audiences responding to this make-believe, enjoying the performances, the role of the director, Helene and her suggestions, the father and his observations and hopes? The improvisations, the threat of the drone? Louis and his memories of the 21^st-century, and explaining things to Liz on?
15. The incident of the punishment, standing in for the aristocrat, the public meeting, the consequences, the population jeering? The son and her being urged to encourage Louis, the encounters, falling in love?
16. The father wanting to give up, Helene wanting to intervene, her ultimatum, Chris and his enjoyment of directing, praising himself, demanding the film to go? Helene leaving? The father ultimately changing his mind and chasing her?
17. Setting up the crisis, the Viking attack, the taking of Lison, the urging of Louis to rescue her, his turning his back? Everybody disappointed? His re-thinking, getting a horse, writing to the rescue?
18. Drugged, coming to, explaining that he was in a coma, yet his vivid memories? On the horse, writing to the scene, seen Lison – happy ending?
19. Chris, seeing himself in the Orson Welles, Stanley Kubrick tradition? The father reunited with Helene? Louis and Lison?