Lovely Rita, sainte patronne des cas désespérés (2003)
Directed by Stéphane Clavier

Film Review

An uninspired script and some complacent direction effectively scuttle this inconsequential comedy thriller more or less from the word go.  A sackload of borrowed ideas are regurgitated without any real thought and the result is about as tedious and trashy as a film of this genre can get.  The only thing more excruciating than the trite dialogue and the ridiculous plot is having to watch actors of the calibre of Julie Gayet, Pierre Mondy and Christian Clavier struggling hopelessly to make anything of it.   For a comedy, there's very little to laugh at - apart from another embarrassing performance from Arielle Dombasle.

Film Synopsis

Edgar Lamarck is a shrewd chartered accountant who anticipates having an easy time on the Riviera.  He gets in a good day's work by persuading shipyard owner Thierry Ferrand that his business is worth less than it really is.  After this, he intends to unwind and enjoy the distractions that the region offers the affluent, hardworking professional like himself.  He decides to spend the evening in the company of a ravishing blonde he met on the internet.  When they meet, Lovely Rita is nothing like what he had been expecting.

Before he knows it, the fiery redhead has lured poor, unsuspecting Edgar into his worst nightmare.  Taking the accountant back to her apartment, Rita coerces him at gunpoint into helping her rid herself of the body of the man she has just killed.   Over the course of the next few hours, Edgar is subjected to the most harrowing ordeal of his life.  No sooner has he managed to dump the troublesome corpse, he manages to get himself locked in the boot of his car.  Finally, he ends up in a casino just as Rita hooks up with her boyfriend, Kevin...