Releasing today, mostly French production Mr Blake at Your Service! is an odd one. Starring John Malkovich (Red, Burn After Reading), this endearing and quirky comedy drama shirks genre tropes and fails to realise the stakes it takes an hour and fifty minutes to set up. In order to unpack this film a little some spoilers are ahead. Fair warning, it’s a little désordonné.
Director Gilles Legardinier’s feature debut showcases a gorgeous French estate (somewhere in Brittany, France), telling the story of Andrew, a grieving British businessman who returns to a manor in France, in remembrance of his deceased wife. It was where they met, she was French. An immediate misunderstanding kicks off situation comedy as Andrew navigates the eccentric behaviour of the staff and Lady of the manor.
A standout feature of this otherwise superfluous tale is the characters and performances driving them. Émilie Dequenne (Brotherhood of the Wolf) portrays Odile. The aggressively up tight, chef and head servant who masks her personal pain ruling the halls with an iron grip. Philippe Bas (Skate or Die) portrays Magnier, outwardly stoic but inwardly screaming lonely groundsman who becomes fast friends with Mr Blake. Eugénie Anselin (Lost Transport) plays Manon, assistant to Odile while dealing with her own personal struggle. Fanny Ardant (Elizabeth) plays Madame Beauvillier, herself a widow and barely trying to keep the manor afloat with dwindling fortune.
These interconnecting personal struggles keep the plot moving. But not in a great way. While the chemistry and performances are genuinely funny on the surface, the character of Andrew Blake is irritating in his compulsive need to both mock and insert himself into the personal problems of those around him. Acting as some kind of wise English saviour. Although, with John Malkovich delivering almost all his lines effortlessly in French, it adds charm to the situation.
The biggest sin however comes in the third act. The journey towards the finale of Mr Blake sets high stakes for everyone but none of this is seen through to conclusion. The film abruptly ends with Andrew getting everything he wants in life, while everyone else is left hanging. Do Odile and Magnier fall in love? Is Manon happy raising her baby with Justin? Is Madame Beauvillier’s bed and breakfast successful and the estate saved? None of this is implied, let alone shown nor told. It’s just assumed. That is disappointing.
Mr Blake at Your Service! releases in Aussie cinemas July 18th and lands generously around 6/10 cups of warm tea. It’s a smile inducing but mediocre tale of people discovering each other through the meddling of a retired Englishman.
