THE GILDED CAGE

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3.5 stars
Maria and José have been living in Paris for over thirty years. She's the concierge in a chic apartment building, he's a construction foreman and both are well-loved by friends, family and particularly their employers who know a good thing when they can exploit it. So starts writer/director Rubin Alves' cultural comedy of manners which taps a rich vein in nostalgia, hope and honesty.

When a substantial inheritance falls José's way and a decision is made to move back to Portugal, self-interest overwhelms those closest to the couple. The resident's of Maria's building suddenly discover she's their most precious familiar, Max's boss works hard to keep his 'most loyal' employee, a situation further complicated by the relationship that has blossomed between their children. Friends are forcefully reluctant to let them go as they scramble to build a gilded cage and trap José and Maria in Paris.

Whilst the narrative scope is, of itself, not especially fresh, Alves tells it with such verve and warmth that this effusive film can't help but soften the hardest hearts. Central to the movie's success (The Gilded Cage was a sleeper sensation in France this year) are the buoyant performances by a an ensemble cast clearly relishing their roles. No one fails to enthuse you to their story, no stories are wasted.

Alves' strength lies in the finer points of experience. The film itself plays broad and fun, but the real joy is in the detail, such as when José and Maria have his boss and potential future in-laws around for dinner. The employees dress to impress, the employer dresses down to fit in while the children are horrified by their respective parents dishonest behaviour. The bitter-sweet comic-timing is pitch perfect, underpinning the authenticity of his characters.

That's not to say he doesn't find room for a rich caricature or two – big personalities that lend the film its biggest laughs. Wrap it all together in a neat, life-affirming package and The Gilded Cage arrives as sweet and tasty as a Portuguese tart. You'll leave wanting more.

// COLIN FRASER

Previewed at Verona Cinemas, Sydney, on 24 September 2013

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STUFF

CAST
Rita Blanco
Joaquim de Almeida
Roland Giraud
Chantal Lauby

DIRECTOR
Ruben Alves

SCREENWRITER
Ruben Alves
Hugo Gélin

COUNTRY
France (subtitles)

CLASSIFICATION
M

RUNTIME
90 minutes

AUSTRALIAN
RELEASE DATE
December 26, 2014
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The Gilded Cage (2013) on IMDb
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Stacks Image 56