The Order Lover - DVD

Film: Do not we all know: Someone from the circle of friends or close relatives introduces his / her new partner and you quickly realize: this does not work at all! In very serious cases it is even quickly apparent that the new appendage is not at all good for the party in love. For such cases, there is now help: the contract lover!

Alex (Romain Duris), an attractive mid-thirties, has specialized in seducing women and keep them in mind that their partner is just not the right one for them. So far, he's always managed to do so without ever exchanging so much as a hint of bodily fluid with any of the women. But his latest assignment presents Alex, aided by his sister Mélanie (Julie Ferrier) and her husband Marc (Francois Damiens), with a real problem: shady flower wholesaler Van der Beck (Jaques Frantz) wants his daughter Juliette (Vanessa Paradis) to be shown that her fiancé, Brit Jonathan (Andrew Lincoln), isn't good enough for her. But Juliette just won't respond to Alex and his seduction skills and seems genuinely happily in love. And even worse, for the first time Alex is starting to feel something too - and of course that can't happen to the lover-for-hire!

The Lover-for-Hire is an original, fresh and thoroughly likeable romantic comedy that could certainly entertain a wide audience. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Monaco, the charming cast deliver a turbulent romp in the best screwball comedy tradition. After the audience has witnessed Alex` seduction skills in an extremely funny scene at the beginning, it is all the more entertaining to watch him cut his teeth on Juliette. What he and his team do to drive her out of the arms of her not really unsympathetic fiancé is a ton of fun, providing a really good laugh almost every minute.

What makes the film so enjoyable is its endearing humor, which - even once it goes into the regions below the belt - is never flat or degenerates into embarrassment. To call the gags harmless may seem negative at first glance. They are not particularly clever or original, but simply nice and harmless. But that's the real strength of the movie. It entertains without being too pushy, without trying to be more than it actually is. The viewer is well entertained in a nice, charming way, gets romance, wit and attractive people in front of no less attractive scenery. There's really no better money to be spent on a film.

Whether as a more politically incorrect version of Hitch - The Date Doctor or as a turbulent romantic comedy, The Lover for Hire offers its audience an entertaining escape from the grey daily grind for over 100 minutes, not only heating up the laugh muscles but also warming the heart. And that's exactly what this comedy does then: absolutely worth watching!

Picture + Sound: While the picture and sound could do better in most areas, overall the picture sharpness, coloring, contrasts and sound mix love at a good level. The warm colors in particular enhance the romantic aspect of the story very well!

Extras: The nearly 30-minute making of has a high promotional content, but still offers a decent look at the making of the film. A 15-minute uncommented behind-the-scenes look, six promotional interviews (approx. 16 min.), and six mini-featurettes (approx. 11 min.) that discuss the Dirty Dancing homage and the fun on the set, among other things, round out the bonus offerings along with the trailer for the film and other programming tips from the provider. Good!

Conclusion: The Order Lover offers the viewer nice entertainment with some very pretty gags, charming actors and beautiful images. The DVD is technically on a good level, the bonus package is quite extensive, but also a bit superficial. Overall, it gets a well-deserved: recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp