Auteuil (La doublure / The Valet) is a bourgeois painter who has come down from Paris to his village of birth to renovate the family villa that is now his. He hires a retired railwayworker (Darroussin, Feux rouges / Red Lights) to restore what was once his mother's vegetable plot. The two men went to the same primary school together in the village but lost sight of each other after an unfortunate incident involving a birthday cake. Now reunited as employer and employee, the two men get reacquainted and talk about topics ranging from their love of gardening to their love of women, their family and work-related troubles and their ambitions, however small.

The scenes in which the two men simply talk in each other’s company are the film’s best. Auteuil and especially Darroussin give full-bodied performances that feel completely natural; their class differences despite their shared background and their curiosity about one another are absolutely convincing and both of the actors give the impression to care enough about the project to imbue their characters with some characteristics that distinguish them from the countless wine-drinking talkers they have incarnated in countless film before.

Becker, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jean Cosmos and Jacques Monnet, does not succeed in extending the lingering sense of quiet dignity of their talks to the scenes in which they are not together -- except for one scene involving Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass (Azur & Azmar), who makes a small but impressive appearance as the wife of Darroussin's character.

Obviously made with competence and care as well as money, Dialogue avec mon jardinier is nevertheless worthwhile as a sun-drenched and slightly melancholy take on the lives of two men who shared so much because of -- and not in spite of -- their differences. The contents of their conversations might already be forgotten when the lights come up but the warmth of their company will certainly linger.

This film was screened as part of the 2007 Karlovy Vary Film Festival. 

Browse for DVDs, soundtracks, books and more: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.fr, amazon.de, dvdGO.es, internetbookshop.it, nl.bol.com, allposters.com.