Ah! Si j'étais riche (2002)
Directed by Gérard Bitton, Michel Munz

Film Review

Having scripted the two popular Vérité si je mens films, writers Gérard Bitton and Michel Munz made their directorial debut with this unashamedly commercial French film comedy.  Despite a few promising script ideas and an attractive cast, the film doesn't achieve its full potential, and the lack of ideas in the second half is painfully noticeable.  Still, the film is entertaining, with several well-realised and very funny comic situations (although in retrospect most of the jokes are somewhat obvious and a few are actually rather offensive).  The lead actors (Darroussin, Tedeschi and Berry) are clearly worth much more than the material they are lumbered with, but, despite this, and the stereotypical casting (sympathetic loser, sad female loner and nasty womaniser... again), their contributions give the film the colour, weight and energy that is lacking in the script.

Film Synopsis

Try as he might, Aldo Bonnard cannot make enough money as a salesman to pay off his mountain of debt.  To make matters worse, his wife Alice walks out on him and begins an affair with his boss, Gérard.  Just when Aldo has given up his luck suddenly takes a turn for the better.  He wins ten million euros on the national lottery - a fact he intends to keep from his wife until after they have been safely divorced.  In the meantime, he gets himself dismissed and begins to live the life of a rich man.  Aldo finally has an idea to get even with his former boss...