Review of Conversations with My Gardener (2007) by Martin K — 22 Feb 2009

This is a film starring Daniel Auteuil, a familiar face to even English audiences. The central character is probably best known internationally from Jean de Florette. Essentially this story is about Auteuil who has difficulty forming relationships, notably with his wife (who is considering a divorce) and his daughter (who announces to Auteuil she is engaged to a man almost his age).

Auteuil hires a gardener, played by Jean-Paul Darrousin, who he wants to create a vegetable garden at his summer residence. As the film develops, perhaps unsurprisingly the friendship between Darrousin and Auteuil develops strongly, and the audience can see that the lead is not such a flawed figure after all.

This is a heartening story, with a sad ending, but one which goes to prove that almost everyone in the world has goodness in their soul and a concern for others. This is surely only a film that the French could make, yet again a cut above Hollywood and even the British movie industry.