Conversations with My Gardener (2007)

This is a nice film. Not too twee. A bit better than bland. It rolls easy-goingly along.I'm writing this review about a month after watching it. Usually i'll watch films a second time in order to review them – but with this i don't feel the need. I got the point the first time round. The point being: middle-aged friendship between blokes is something to be nurtured, treasured.I reckon Auteuil and Darroussin – a pair of safe solid hands – didn't have to stretch themselves too far to play these roles. It seemed as easy for them acting it as it is for us watching it. The brotherly bonhomie between the two appeared inherent, generous, unaffected.Darroussin (The Gardener) gently undermines Auteuil (The Artist) bourgeois values with simple ignorance – or better put, peasant commonsense; calls Auteuil "The Dauber". The Gardener hasn't got The Artists wider range of experience, or supposedly higher culture – but he knows a thing or two (like always having on your person a pocket knife and some string) The Dauber finds The Gardener's lack of pretension, his salt of the earth, ordinary simplicity, appealing – and eventually, even quietly enlightening.Its feel-good cinema but understated; little feelings are allowed to bubble up subtly, like small ripples on a naturally occurring pond – while waiting patiently for that feel-good fish to present himself.I'll watch it again when i'm in a dozy fishing kind of mood.Its extremely pleasant. Lol

I read about this movie, and so deeply interested about the story line that I had to go and watch this flick. I do not understand French, nor the Dutch sub-titles. What I did was tried to search for sub-titles in English on the internet. Could not find one, so downloaded the sub-titles in Spanish, translated them to English and read the whole script of sub-titles before going for the movie. Surely it did not make much sense, but I depended on my memory to recollect the discussions between the painter and the gardener. Coming back home, I again re-read the sub-title script and recollected the images. That is how I saw and understood the movie. Though silly, that was the only and my way of doing enjoying this masterpiece.The story is simple – a famous painter Dupinceau (Daniel Auteuil) is fed up with life in Paris and has decided to move back to his village home to paint. He hires a gardener Dujardin (Jean-Pierre Darroussin) who turns out to me school class mate. A whole lifetime has passed from where they started at school – remembering a prank the students played on their teacher's birthday cake. They share their journey of life with each other – through casual talks. The painter and gardener both experts in their fields are unique, in their perception of seeing things and understanding. Both of them become close friends – and with ailing health of gardener, the painter takes him to Paris for treatment. A few years later when the gardener dies, the painter fulfills his wishes by drawing the common things of his gardener's life – to capture those memories of happiness and joys.The simplicity of plot and the depth of discussion is so appealing that one fills fulfilled by just listening the gardener and painter talk – you wish their talk would never end. This inspiring interest is created by Daniel and Jen-Pierre in living their roles perfectly on screen.Seventy year old Director Jean Becker, who has also partly written the story takes us through this varied journey of life's mysteries without letting us know that.The innocent wittiness of gardener's amazement and questions posed to the painter are the highlight of the movie – that bring enlightenment of seeing things differently for painter and also for us.The background musical score is spare, but wherever it is used, it is effective. There are a few sub-plots, but the movie does not digress from the main theme, and kudos to that track.The most moving scene for me was when the two friends go for fishing, catch a big fish and then leave it back in the water alive and free again. Wonderful! There are so many dialogues in questions, answers and casual exchanges – that resonate with our souls. The last words of the gardener would ring in our hearts for years – I would like that you painted something that I liked. And in the end - the painter does… A classic, not to be missed – only recommended for those who are willing to know their souls (Stars 7.25 out fo 10)

Internationally known as "Conversations with My Gardener" this film deals with an artist that moves back to his small country side village of birth after living in the hectic and fast paced Paris for a good number of years. He is still married but divorce is on the way and is in desperate need of a change.Once back on the country side he hires a gardener to work his garden while he works his art and as it turns out the gardener is a childhood friend of his that has been living in the village his whole life. When the two meet again they start reliving old memories and conversing about just about everything and inspiring each other in many ways, both learning something they had long since forgotten.Beautiful imagery, nice mellow music, realism. But above all, a sparkling unity between the two main characters. With that the film has all the ingredients to be a great film. It falters on only a few spots and IMO the one place where it really fails is by taking a very often used cliché to add some events to the ending that work toward a quicker ending but toward nothing else.8 out of 10 long talks on a midsummer night

I found the movie rather disappointing. Despite an excellent director and a great cast, the movie doesn't rise above the caricature of what life "should" be in the French countryside.Auteuil and Daroussin are both struggling with dialogs that sound too poetic to be true. I couldn't help thinking that the "poetic gardener" character is just the idea that Parisian intellectuals have of life outside the capital.That might also be one of the few movies where Auteuil just doesn't get it right.If you want to watch a Jean Becker movie, pick any but not this one...