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‘The Valet’ Review: Winning Remake of French Farce Brings ‘Notting Hill’ Vibes to Tinseltown

A spirited Samara Weaving and endearing Eugenio Derbez play a fake tabloid couple in this sweet and culturally specific fish-out-water romantic comedy.

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It’s unlikely that anyone was holding their breath for an English-language reimagining of Francis Veber’s 2006 French hit “La Doublure,” a lovable if trite farce in which a porter and a supermodel fake a romantic relationship in order to prevent a PR disaster. But with the help of some doting cultural specificity, a charming cast and sunshiny Los Angeles skies, “Come As You Are” director Richard Wong’s “The Valet” proves that a remake can still be a welcome thing these days, even in a world oversaturated with them.

Written by Bob Fisher and Rob Greenberg (the duo behind the “Overboard” remake), this sweet-natured and good-humored rom-com-with-a-twist should easily find reasonable streaming success upon its May 20 launch on Hulu. This version of the story brings its distinctly “Notting Hill” beats to Tinseltown, where the modest and socially awkward Antonio (Mexican star Eugenio Derbez , more widely seen of late as the endearing music teacher in “CODA”) works as a valet, parking the fancy cars of a swanky Beverly Hills establishment’s rich clientele. Still desperately wooing his ex-wife Isabel (Marisol Nichols), yearning to be a good role model to his son Marco (Joshua Vasquez), and trying not to get too embarrassed by her playful and sexually very active mother that he adores (the legendary Carmen Salinas Lozano, in her final screen role before passing away in December), Antonio spends his days keeping his head down and succumbing to far less than his worth.

Elsewhere, gorgeous A-list actress Olivia Allan (vivaciously played by Samara Weaving, the plucky survivor of “Ready or Not”) is getting ready to premiere her next film — a feminist Amelia Earhart biopic — and keeping busy with her new female-focused production company. If only she could also lead a rational personal life, in synergy with those good-on-paper credentials. But involved in an affair with the shady, married businessman Vincent (Max Greenfield), the movie star soon finds herself in a deal where she has to pose as Antonio’s girlfriend for a while to ease the suspicions of Vincent’s skeptical wife Kathryn (Betsy Brandt). Both parties get something out of it: Antonio, the funds required for his ex-wife’s college dreams that he deeply cares about. And Olivia, a scandal-free name.

But the scheme naturally serves Vincent more than anyone, with Kathryn breathing down his neck so thoroughly that she even hires a private investigator to expose the sham union of Antonio and Olivia. In the original, the Kathryn character was played by the sensational Kristin Scott Thomas, who infused the project with her effortless sway and humorously stiff-upper-lipped nonchalance. In a lot of ways, it was Thomas’ charisma that kept “La Doublure” afloat. While Wong isn’t blessed with a similarly powerful presence here in the same role, he manages to center his film’s appeal otherwise, mining a winning emotional core from L.A.’s multi-layered Latinx culture.

There is so much affectionate detail in the way “The Valet” portrays Antonio’s family life, his close relationship to his mother and a supportive network of immigrant Americans they dwell within. The crown jewel of this unique ecosystem is undoubtedly the mom’s relationship to their Korean landlord, Mr. Kim (Ji Yong Lee). With neither of them speaking English, their septuagenarian romance gets played for predictable laughs at first. But “The Valet” quickly corrects course and has the audience genuinely care for the pair of old lovers, enabled by their offspring who generously translate their words to each other. Witnessing all the domestic affection she’s missed out on in her glamorous yet superficial Hollywood world, what’s Olivia to do if not fall in love with the family and become Antonio’s bestie?

Unfortunately, “The Valet” litters what could have been a leaner tale with too much subplot: There’s the potentially romantic banter of the for-hire detectives, an activist with a crush on Anthony, a team of devious figures working for Vincent, the mom’s ailing health and so on. In that regard, “The Valet” feels needlessly bloated at times, drowning the main storyline amid a crowded canvas of forgettable side-players. Still, the film makes good on its premise in the final act, resisting the temptation of forcing Anthony and Olivia into an unearned romance. Instead, Wong’s modest romp finds its satisfactory resolution elsewhere, through the personal growth of a group of fish-out-of-water characters you can’t help but adore in the aftermath.

“The Valet” will be released exclusively via Hulu on May 20.

Reviewed online, May 17, 2022. MPA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 118 MIN.

Production: A Hulu release and presentation of a 3Pas Studios, Pantelion Films production. Producers: Eugenio Derbez, Ben Odell. Executive producer: Jeremiah Samuels.
Crew: Director: Richard Wong. Screenplay: Bob Fisher, Rob Greenberg. Camera: Mateo Londono. Editor: Sandra Montiel. Music: Heitor Pereira.
With: Eugenio Derbez, Samara Weaving, Max Greenfield, Betsy Brandt, Carmen Salinas Lozano, Amaury Nolasco, Marisol Nichols, Diany Rodriguez, Tiana Okoye, John Pirrucello, Ravi Patel, Noemí González, Lunay.

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The Valet (2022)

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The Valet Reviews

It ultimately delivers on the raison d'etre of any rom-com: a satisfactory mix of laughs and love.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 11, 2022

The Valet is a very funny film about embracing yourself amidst the chaos of culture clash.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 28, 2022

A charming culture clash comedy set in Los Angeles.

Full Review | Sep 24, 2022

The Valet adds substance to a familiar Hollywood trope while giving it a charming spin.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 20, 2022

It’s all as predictable as a bowl of macaroni and cheese, and at over two hours – well, how much macaroni and cheese do you think you can eat?

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Sep 15, 2022

The Valet is a colorful Comedy about love and loneliness that saves time to tackle some interesting issues such as Hollywood’s double standards, neighbourhood gentrification, and the importance of bonding within our community.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Sep 14, 2022

The Valet wants to be a showcase for Derbez, but it’s a much more impressive vehicle for Weaving, who usually favors action and horror.

Full Review | Sep 2, 2022

Romantic comedies are hard to pull off in this generation of cynicism and need for reality, but this one is funny and believable as incredible as romance seems to be these days. It even had a jaded critic like me very surprised.

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Aug 31, 2022

'The Valet' will not win any awards; it could easily have been trimmed by a few minutes. Still, it’s a comfort-food movie that is enjoyable and easy to digest.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 30, 2022

Director Richard Wong, lands this American version of the French original at the famous "Melting Pot" in Los Angeles. The humanity of the extremes will discovered each other on the most empiric way, living each other. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 30, 2022

This charming romantic comedy about a parking attendant who finds himself "dating" the world's most famous actress has surprising heart and depth.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Aug 29, 2022

Enjoyable and sweet, even as it hits familiar beats.

Full Review | Aug 28, 2022

The Valet presents a warm and thoughtful representation of Latinidad that gently nudges its audience to evaluate their own values and how they play out in the world.

Full Review | Jul 15, 2022

Derbez and Weaving elevate the material, but Carmen Salinas is the film's MVP: hilarious, relatable and affecting.

Full Review | Jul 9, 2022

Perhaps it’s because the movie is penned by two writers who seem to have little experience writing romance, or maybe it was the lack of overall chemistry, but The Valet is DOA.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 22, 2022

The Valet is not terribly deep or nuanced, and its humor is more amiable than hilarious, but it does generally respect the unspectacular lives of many of its characters.

Full Review | Jun 21, 2022

Sometimes a remake can work well in a new setting and this is a prime example of taking a familiar story and improving on it. Derbez and Weaving are so darn likable and the two have such a fun rapport that elevates this movie.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 13, 2022

Derbez is very winning in this role

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jun 8, 2022

It can't figure out if it wants to be a naturalistic portrait of L.A. or a manic comedy. Either way, it doesn't work.

Full Review | Jun 7, 2022

This remake may be predictable and formulaic, but the combination of actors and the blend of humor with sweetness lift it a notch above.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 6, 2022

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Common sense media reviewers.

Mature content and stereotyping in sweet, funny remake.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Family should be there for you through good times

Antonio demonstrates integrity and humility in his

Antonio's Latino friends and family speak Spanish

Antonio rides his bike into a parked car; he's fin

Adults kiss, have affairs, feel jealousy, discuss

Someone mouths "f--k. "S--t," "bulls--t," "a--hole

Some brands are seen on cars, clothes, phones, and

Adults drink beer, wine, champagne, and tequila. A

Positive Messages

Family should be there for you through good times and bad. People need companions, love, and friendship. Money doesn't buy happiness, but it can help people reach their goals. Self-respect means treating yourself well and living honestly.

Positive Role Models

Antonio demonstrates integrity and humility in his treatment of others and the values he lives by. He works hard, doesn't complain that he doesn't have more. His friends are jealous of his success with the ladies. Olivia and Kathryn are both in unhealthy relationships they're struggling to get out of. Vincent is a greedy liar. Stegman and Kapoor are in need of company. Antonio's family members are in loving relationships.

Diverse Representations

Antonio's Latino friends and family speak Spanish and celebrate their own heritage and the sacrifices that got them to where they are today. They recognize discrimination because they live with it. Film plays with stereotypes about Latinos. White characters are mostly portrayed as wealthy, selfish. Other races, nationalities, and ethnicities are represented in secondary characters like Kapoor, Amanda, and Mr. Kim.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Antonio rides his bike into a parked car; he's fine. A beloved character dies; this person's childhood struggles with poverty and violence are mentioned at the funeral.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Adults kiss, have affairs, feel jealousy, discuss sexual desires and toys, are seen in underwear. A scene where a woman simulates having sex is watched and admired by two detectives.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Someone mouths "f--k. "S--t," "bulls--t," "a--hole," "bastard," "hell," "moron," "son of a bitch," "stupid," "dumb." "Jesus Christ" used as an exclamation.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Some brands are seen on cars, clothes, phones, and storefronts.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adults drink beer, wine, champagne, and tequila. A movie star passes out from mixing alcohol and pills; she has a hangover the next morning. A woman smokes cigarettes.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Valet is a remake of a French film and stars Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez as a humble parking attendant who is thrown into a new world of celebrities and wealth. The film draws a lot of contrasts between wealthy, individualistic, mostly White people and the Latinos who serve them. The tight-knit Latino family speaks Spanish at home and celebrates their own heritage and their struggles to make a better life for themselves and their children. The main character demonstrates integrity and humility in his treatment of others and the values he lives by. There's some sexual content, mostly innuendo and kissing as well as one simulated sex scene observed by two men. People are in their underwear. Adults drink and smoke, and a movie star passes out from mixing alcohol and pills. Language includes "s--t," "bulls--t," "a--hole," "bastard," "hell," "moron," "son of a bitch," "stupid," "dumb," and "Jesus Christ" (used as an exclamation), and someone mouths "f--k." To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

Parents say (1)
Kids say (2)

Based on 1 parent review

Nice fun comedy!

What's the story.

In THE VALET, movie star Olivia ( Samara Weaving ) is caught by paparazzi leaving a hotel with her lover, mogul Vincent ( Max Greenfield ), and a scheme is hatched to match her with a different boyfriend, parking valet Antonio ( Eugenio Derbez ), as a cover. Antonio is embarrassingly out of place in Olivia's world of red-carpet premieres and fancy restaurants. And the pill-popping, under-fed celebrity is a novelty among Antonio's tight-knit family and friends. Meanwhile, Vincent's wife Kathryn ( Betsy Brandt ) is convinced he's cheating on her and hires a private investigator (John Pirruccello) to follow him. Vincent's lawyer (Alex Fernandez) hires his own PI ( Ravi Patel ). Also, Vincent's company is planning a new construction that will close down many local businesses in Antonio's neighborhood. And all Antonio really wants is to get his ex-wife (Marisol Nichols) back.

Is It Any Good?

This remake may be predictable and formulaic, but the combination of actors and the blend of humor with sweetness lift it a notch above. The Valet could have been satisfied to just play on class and cultural stereotypes around the two main characters. It does this, and to especially funny effect thanks to Derbez's comic talent. A scene where he's confused ordering at a fancy restaurant, then mistaken for a waiter, is priceless, as is his sudden hero status among the working class. Another scene where he and his buddies stop to pick up fast food while whisking a passed-out movie star away from her film premiere is also hilarious. Their no-nonsense behavior of paying in all one-dollar bills, stashing ketchup packets for later, and discussing the special speed limit for Latinos contrasts comically yet poignantly with the celebrity's self-imposed woes. Played by veteran Carmen Salinas (before her death in 2021), Antonio's elderly mother's insistence on discussing her sexual desire with her mortified son is another running gag.

The storyline has Antonio and Olivia both gain confidence from their relationship to improve their own lives. Derbez is undoubtedly the star of this film, but Weaving provides a good match for him. Greenfield essentially plays the same character as the one that made him famous on New Girl , but he's always amusing and likable despite bad behavior. The film also has some unexpectedly sweet touches, like the friendship that arises between two lonely, soft-boiled detectives or the relationship between Antonio's mom and her Korean neighbor that unexpectedly blends two immigrant families. A funeral scene is surprisingly moving, showing Derbez's dramatic chops as well. The writers were smart to make sure Antonio mentioned the age difference between him and Olivia to give them an out from actually trying to make the coupling work -- this would have felt forced and could have undermined the movie as a whole.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the differences between Antonio's life and Olivia's in The Valet . What feels exaggerated? What seems based in reality?

This is a remake of a French movie. Why do people do remakes? What are the advantages? Would you be interested in watching the original now, if you haven't already?

How does Antonio demonstrate integrity ? Does this character strength always serve him well? Why, or why not?

What negative social issues does this film raise? How does it make them funny?

Movie Details

On DVD or streaming : May 20, 2022
Cast : Eugenio Derbez , Samara Weaving , Max Greenfield
Director : Richard Wong
Inclusion Information : Latino actors, Female actors
Studio : Hulu
Genre : Comedy
Topics : Friendship
Character Strengths : Integrity
Run time : 117 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : sexual content, some strong language and brief drug material
Last updated : March 20, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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The Valet (2022) Review

Light hearted fun.

The Valet (2022)

It can be hard to recapture the magic of a movie when converting the story from another language into English, but that does not stop Hollywood from trying. While a few manage to hit, such as The Ring, most lose something in the translation, resulting in sub-par copies of the original. The Valet, thankfully, avoids this trap, delivering a strong, lighthearted comedy that stands on its own, even if it does not hit the heights of the original French outing.

The story of The Valet follows Antonio (Eugenio Derbez), a kind-hearted valet working at a swanky Beverly Hills restaurant, where he truly excels at his job. He can park and drive some of the most expensive cars in the world with ease, even as he relies on his trusty bicycle to get around in his day-to-day life. Currently separated from his wife, and living at home with his mother in the Pico/Union district of Los Angeles, he is working for the best for his family, and his teenage son.

It is not until he finds himself mixed up in the affair between Vincent Royce ( Max Greenfield ), a real estate billionaire, and the famous actress Olivia ( Samara Weaving ), that his world is thrown through a loop. With the paparazzi catching the three of them on the street due to a biking accident, a plot is worked out by Vincent’s lawyer to have Antonio play the role of Olivia’s boyfriend to throw Vincent’s wife (Betsy Brandt) off the trail. Asking for a specific sum in the range of $12 000 to take on this role, the once invisible Antonio finds himself in the middle of a whirlwind of fame, money and power, the likes of which he never thought possible.

“ The Valet manages to deliver a fun and heartfelt film…”

The Valet delivers a story we have seen countless times before. Seeing the fish out of water story in the lights and glamour of Hollywood is nothing new, and it has certainly been done better. But even with that in mind, the movie manages enough to make the characters feel human and endearing. Antonio, despite his bumbling ways, manages to feel like someone you want to get to know.

As he goes through his daily tasks, you can see the pride he puts into everything he does, and the true joy he gets from being around his family. This is in stark contrast to Samara Weaving’s Olivia, who is shown to be isolated, unable to make meaningful connections, even as she desperately craves them in her life.

The evolution the characters go through is also refreshing, opting not to give the obvious payoffs, giving a much more human, and relatable outcome as the characters come to terms with their failings, and how this situation has changed them for the better. The Valet also manages to endear its side stories and characters to the viewer, with the private investigator sub-plot paying off in a truly fantastic and endearing way.

Writers Rob Fisher and Rob Greenberg have managed to translate the story in a way that makes the movie stand on its own. While the original was a much more “zany” affair, opting for more laugh-out-loud moments, The Valet manages to deliver a fun and heartfelt film that dives into the characters, their struggles and how they manage to grow thanks to the encounters in the film.

Even the best story would fall flat with the wrong cast, and thankfully, The Valet delivers with actors that make the characters feel human, relatable and engaging to watch. Samara Weaving is truly fun in the role of Olivia, with Eugenio Derbez nailing the role of Antonio, bringing a level of depth I did not expect. Even the supporting cast manages to deliver with many known names from TV and film, such as John Pirruccello, Ravi Patel, Alex Fernandez, Carmen Salinas, Marisol Nichols, and Amaury Nolasco. Even in smaller roles, the cast makes the world feel fun, vibrant and exciting, even when the main cast is not on the screen.

The Valet is a fun take on a classic concept, and works well with what it is given. While the movie does nothing truly new, it manages to be a fun, and heartwarming experience that will be fun for a date night or something to throw on and unwind from the troubles of the day. With a strong cast and quick pacing, The Valet is a movie well worth watching, especially after a long day, and you need something to make your heart feel a bit more light.

Final Thoughts

Brendan Frye has over a decade of experience in the gaming and media industry. From an early age, he loved gaming, and that life-long passion has found its way to his work. He now works as the EIC of CGMagazine, along with acting as a Judge for numerous gaming conventions. He contributes to shows such as The List and other radio and TV programs. When he is not working, he can be found enjoying the latest Souls experience or finding a good horror movie that is in need of watching.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, CGMagazine may earn a commission. However, please know this does not impact our reviews or opinions in any way. See our ethics statement.

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Review: Eugenio Derbez’s Hulu rom-com ‘The Valet’ finds its own space

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“ The Valet ” starts with a “fake lovers” premise routine in rom-coms, but this Hulu original film doesn’t park in the wide-open spot. The funny, grounded remake of a 2006 French comedy arrives in a Pinto and leaves in, if not a Porsche, at least a Prius.

Unambitious but hardworking valet Antonio ( Eugenio Derbez ) finds himself caught in the middle of an affair between superstar actress Olivia ( Samara Weaving ) and married billionaire Vincent ( Max Greenfield ) when paparazzi happen to capture the three in the same photo. To keep the affair secret, Vincent pays Antonio to pretend to be the one in a relationship with Olivia. Familiar, right? Sure, there’s convenience to the gag and its resolution. But “The Valet” has more going for it than that farce setup, thanks largely to its sparkling leads.

Bob Fisher and Rob Greenberg ‘s screenplay updates Francis Veber ‘s French film “La Doublure” with texture and warmth. (Veber has made such comedy classics as “Les Compères” and “Le Dîner de Cons,” among others receiving American remakes .) The earned sweetness is particularly evident in its fond familial eye and taste for flavors of L.A. only longtime Angelenos would recognize. “The Valet” embraces the ongoing cultural collisions at the heart of the city.

Richard Wong’s deft direction is crisp, funny (he knows just how to time an insert of Antonio’s cousin punching a mannequin) and, most importantly, trusts its performers to deliver. Of course, starting an ensemble with Derbez and Weaving helps.

Fresh off his impressive dramatic turn in “ CODA ,” Mexican comic star Derbez takes a role that could have been flat — the nice guy/sad sack/passive protagonist to whom things happen rather than the driver of the action — and makes it sympathetic. We buy his familial connections and feel his wilting resignation when his supportive friend tries — and fails — to list the positive qualities that would explain a gorgeous superstar falling for him. And when Derbez and Weaving pair in scenes, their expert timing synchronizes.

Weaving delivers in every role . After elevating genre fare such as “The Babysitter” and “Ready or Not” with pinging intellect, she shows off superb comic chops with expertly deployed eye rolls and stony glares of disapproval. In a limo scene, her facial slide into horror is a scream. She makes the most of clueless, spoiled-star lines such as “Can you tell him to stop sweating?” And because she’s such a skilled actor, we believe the layers underneath — especially Olivia’s loneliness as she witnesses the everyday intimacy of Antonio’s family life.

In her final role, actress and politician Carmen Salinas is adorable as Antonio’s mother, Cecilia. Having reached the age of saying and doing whatever she likes, Cecilia is no fading flower (“I share a bathroom with her,” declares Antonio, “and she’s not shy !”) and doesn’t hesitate to savor her new romance. It’s lovely work. Amaury Nolasco gets mileage out of the gobsmacking discovery that his unassuming brother-in-law is apparently a stud with godlike sexual powers.

It’s the family dynamic, though, that anchors the movie’s world and makes a truly touching sequence near the end land hard. The closest comp may be Joel Schumacher’s “ Cousins ,” a warmer and livelier remake of the French “Cousin, Cousine,” another fake-lovers rom-com populated with folks you enjoy having around. Like that film, thanks to the synthesis of adaptation, direction and ensemble — especially its leads — “The Valet” rewardingly finds its own way.

'The Valet'

Rating: TV-14 Running time: 1 hour, 57 minutes Playing: On Hulu May 20

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The valet review: eugenio derbez & samara weaving delight in hulu rom-com.

The Valet is a charming twist on a classic trope led by two delightful leads, even if it sometimes struggles under the weight of all it has taken on.

On the surface, it may look like The Valet is a standard romcom about two vastly different personalities. However, director Richard Wong, working off a script by Rob Greenberg and Bob Fisher, manages to unearth something much sweeter in this familiar setup. It helps that The Valet 's two leads are very appealing and that there is genuine humor to be found. Perhaps the biggest problem facing this film is that it is almost bursting at the seams with smaller subplots, some of which don't entirely get their due. The Valet is a charming twist on a classic trope led by two delightful leads, even if it sometimes struggles under the weight of all it has taken on.

Antonio (Eugenio Derbez) is a valet in the middle of Los Angeles while Olivia (Samara Weaving) is an actress found on just about every billboard in the city. The two have absolutely nothing in common, and they only meet when Antonio crashes his bike into the car Olivia is stepping into. However, their unexpected connection proves fortuitous, as Antonio becomes the perfect fake boyfriend to hide Olivia's affair with a married billionaire (Max Greenfield). As the valet and the actress get closer, they realize they both have a lot to learn from each other.

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The Valet 's basic premise accounts for the central relationship, but it doesn't touch upon the inclusion of Antonio's large family, the threat of gentrification surrounding Antonio's neighborhood, and the surveillance efforts put in place by Olivia's boyfriend's wife (Betsy Brandt). All of those amount to additional storylines found within The Valet , though not every single one gets the full development they deserve. Though they serve to further enrich this world, they can make for some disorientation when Greenberg and Fisher's screenplay shifts focus back to them. At its core, The Valet is strongest when it focuses on the burgeoning relationship between Antonio and Olivia, which admittedly takes some time to really get rolling.

When it does get properly underway, though, it gives The Valet its heart. Wong takes the lighthearted premise beyond surface-level and digs into who Antonio and Olivia are as people. Their relationship, though it may begin as more of a transaction, is remarkably balanced in the sense that both of them have something to offer the other. Weaving plays Olivia's gradual thawing around Antonio quite well, picking away at her inner insecurities to the point where it's hard not to feel sympathetic for the privileged actress. As Antonio, Derbez wears his heart on his sleeve. He straddles the line between comedy and drama very well, making Antonio someone to root for. A key scene near the end of The Valet where Antonio experiences some needed growth might incite cheers from the audience. Among the supporting cast, Greenfield continues to prove he's excellent at playing jerks, and the late Carmen Salinas, in one of her final roles, is an utter delight as Antonio's randy mother.

Wong also gives The Valet an additional layer by letting Antonio and his family speak Spanish. Though the movie doesn't dig too deep into any racial issues, it does acknowledge that there is a difference between LA's elite and its immigrant communities. That added nuance in what appears to be a fluffy rom-com helps The Valet stand a touch apart from some of the other entries in the genre. The Valet isn't a perfect movie, but its charms help push past any issues that may arise.

As a result, The Valet is solid entertainment for anyone looking for some heart and laughter. Rom-com enthusiasts might be a bit thrown by how Olivia and Antonio's relationship actually progresses, but it ultimately proves to be a more genuine and poignant endpoint. The entire cast helps to further elevate the material, and the added cultural touches only give the plot more depth. Though The Valet perhaps takes on too much all at once and can be a bit slow at the beginning, it is a success as a heartwarming exploration of friendship and family.

More: Senior Year Review: Rebel Wilson Leads Bland, Heartless Netflix Comedy

The Valet begins streaming on Hulu Friday, May 20. It is 117 minutes long and rated PG-13 for sexual content, some strong language and brief drug material.

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Movie Review – The Valet (2022)

May 18, 2022 by Robert Kojder

The Valet , 2022.

Directed by Richard Wong. Starring Eugenio Derbez, Samara Weaving, Ravi Patel, Amaury Nolasco, John Pirruccello, Max Greenfield, Betsy Brandt, Marisol Nichols, Carmen Salinas, Carlos Santos, Armando Hernández, Tiana Okoye, Diany Rodriguez, Joshua Vasquez, Alex Fernandez, Noemi Gonzalez, Milena Rivero, Michael Mourra, Noah Ayden Hernandez, Dariana Alvarez, Marcenae Lynette, Katie Carpenter, Wilmer Calderon, Mike Bash, and Lunay.

A movie star enlists a parking valet at a Beverly Hills restaurant to pose as her lover to cover for her relationship with a married man.

Apparently, Eugenio Derbez loves playing doormats. Director Richard Wong’s The Valet may be a remake of a French film, but it feels like watching 2018’s Overboard (which was also a remake), minus the amnesia. Antonio (Eugenio Derbez) is a loving father, recently left by the love of his life. For whatever reason, Antonio simply doesn’t have much drive in life, frequently content to settle for far less than he deserves (even when the deception plot comes into play higher at the hands of the billionaire for a sum of his choosing, he only asks for $12,000). There’s also nothing necessarily wrong with this; Antonio is often quite sympathetic, especially when timid, bouncing around in a Hollywood world his small-town mind doesn’t understand, able to land bits and pieces of broad situational humor.

Antonio also has the titular mundane job of valet parking, where no one looks you in the eyes, and everyone treats you like you are invisible. There is also something here to pull from, given the Latin American background of Antonio and his co-workers, but the farthest The Valet gets saying anything remotely political is a softball gentrification framing device. Aside from cuisines, it’s shocking and disappointing how disinterested the movie explores culture (more a fault of the script, not the direction), doubly so when you consider Antonio’s mother dating their Korean landlord.

The crux of The Valet centers on Antonio’s involvement with hotshot actress Olivia Allan (Samara Weaving). She happens to be sleeping with married billionaire Vincent Royce (Max Greenfield), all-around vain and estranged from her family. One night while the paparazzi are snooping around, the parties more or less bump into each other, ending up in the same photograph blowing up social media and the private life of Vincent. Rather than come clean about his adultery, he works Olivia and Antonio into putting on a fake relationship for the press so that his wife Kathryn (Betsy Brandt) will cease suspicion of unfaithfulness. The latter could use some money, and the former can’t have her public image smeared (there are some early lines from Olivia talking about the pressures of women in Hollywood to be scandal free, which would offer some fascinating character work, but that also goes nowhere).

Instead, The Valet is content autopiloting through standard sequences of opposites entering into their different, respective worlds, finding some common ground. The issue is that much like Overboard , The Valet also doesn’t mind reveling in the cruelty of its premise and the shallowness of someone like Olivia. Even when the movie gets around to her inevitable redemption arc, it doesn’t feel earned (scenes with the adulterer’s wife are too friendly and clean). Antonio’s buddies joke around wondering how he attracted a Hollywood star at work, which is mildly amusing. The entire situation also makes his former partner wonder if she made a mistake dumping him, which has him excited about possibly getting back together.

There’s just not enough characterization for either Antonio or Olivia, which is crucial considering the film is semi-serious and rarely funny. Eugenio Derbez is incredibly sweet-natured and adorable in his shyness, and it’s easy to want him to stop getting used, but it’s not enough to make this story work. The unity of his large family is another positive here, but even that takes some random turns (although it could be because one of the cast members died before the movie was released). Regardless, the third act is messy, where almost nothing is believable.

For as cliché as the whole endeavor is, it should be said that Richard Wong (primarily is cinematographer although he does have other directorial efforts under his belt) stages the occasional compelling shot (he especially makes use of billboards depicting Olivia juxtaposed with the character in her most vulnerable, soul-searching moments). However, The Valet ‘s script from Bob Fisher and Rob Greenberg (not only two of the whitest sounding names imaginable, which would explain the lack of cultural specificity and authenticity, but they are also responsible for Overboard ) is formulaic and empty. The ensemble is decent; they just have nothing to work with.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd , or email me at [email protected]

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The Valet (2022) review – a cute little romantic comedy to enjoy with your loved one

This review of Hulu film The Valet (2022) does not contain spoilers.

The return of the rom-com continues as Hulu is releasing the film The Valet . The movie is a remake of the French film La doublure . I was excited to check this one out as I am a fan of Eugenio Derbez and Samara Weaving.

We meet Vincent Royce (Max Greenfield), a politician looking to change the city. At the same time, we meet Olivia (Samara Weaving), an actress on the movie set. Next, we see the pair meet up in a hotel room together. Olivia feels terrible and says it’s time to break up their love affair. However, as she leaves the hotel room, the paparazzi take a few snapshots of the pair and it lands on the paper’s front page. Vincent realizes he needs to fix this and his lawyer hatched a plan to say that Olivia was dating the valet driver (pictured in the photo with them) and not Vincent.

Antonio (the Valet driver) isn’t hard to convince to take part in the plan of being the guy. But, once Olivia comes into Antonio’s work and plants a big kiss on him, the rest is history. His friends, family, and everyone is confused about how Antonio landed the big star. Even Vincent’s wife Betsy isn’t buying it and hires a private detective to look into their relationship.

The Actress and the Valet

The depiction of the other woman has been played way too much in Hollywood. However, The Valet does a great job of bringing a slightly fresh take to the room by introducing Antonio to the table. They didn’t make Antonio’s character dumbed down because he was a “valet driver.” Instead, the writing brought his family to life beautifully. It enriched the story to highlight some of what Olivia seems to be missing from her life. They let Antonio be Antonio and never shy away from who he was and I loved that.

Olivia and Antonio work because of Eugenio Derbez and Samara Weaving. Antonio and Olivia couldn’t be more opposite, but they have some of the same qualities within each other. Derbez plays the role to perfetcion. He is a quirky, older man that still lives at home with his mother. Derbez brings such a delightful comedic approach and, at times, doesn’t even have to try because he is just that funny. He also packs such an emotional layer to Antonio that elevates this film to a different level. Samara Weaving is an outstanding actress who thrives as the actress playing a role within a role. Weaving just doesn’t miss.

There is a moment you don’t see coming in the third act, and I was incredibly floored by it. I credit the writers for how well they laid out the story because it hit so much harder than it ever should. You really think the movie is playing to the beat that other films like this do until it doesn’t and this made the film even better for it.

Overall, The Valet does a great job structuring this story to make you laugh, feel things, and ultimately invest in each of the characters. Because of that, the film is a charming take on the rom-com that everyone can enjoy.

What did you think of the Hulu film The Valet (2022)? Comment below.

Article by Ricky Valero

Ricky Valero joined Ready Steady Cut in January 2022 as a Film and TV writer and critic, and since then has published over 700 articles on the website. Ricky, a recognized movie critic, has been writing about films for almost a decade. Since joining the industry, he has covered numerous movie festivals, including Sundance Film Festival, AFI Fest, and SXSW Festival, and is a member of the prestigious Critics Choice Association.

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Valet’ on Hulu, an Unexpectedly Delightful Comedy Featuring an Inspired Eugenio Derbez/Samara Weaving Combo

Where to stream:, funny movies on netflix: the top 11 comedy movies on netflix, stream it or skip it: ‘the beautiful game’ on netflix, a winning sports dramedy set at the homeless world cup, stream it or skip it: ‘when you finish saving the world’ on netflix, jesse eisenberg's quirky directorial debut, stream it or skip it: ‘the miracle club’ on netflix, an irish dramedy powered by a talented cast.

Hulu exclusive The Valet remakes a 2006 French farce in which a famous actress stages a phony relationship with a valet as cover for her relationship with a married man. A silly premise maybe, but the film ends up being a vehicle for Mexican funnyguy Eugenio Derbez and Nine Perfect Strangers and The Babysitter star Samara Weaving, who share terrific chemistry in this very silly, but unexpectedly charming little movie.

THE VALET : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Antonio (Derbez) is a mega-doofus. His flat-top haircut is straight off a football card from 1964. His mustache inspires people to say things like, “Uh – that mustache” when he’s out of earshot. He often has a wide-eyed expression on his face that tells us he’s in a state of befuddled paralysis. He rides his bike to school to pick up his teenage son, who hops on the back and somehow doesn’t seem to be mortified by it. He lives with his elderly mother (Carmen Salinas), who’s way too open with him about her sexual escapades with their landlord, Mr. Kim (Ji Yong Lee). He carries a hopeless torch for his estranged wife, Isabel (Marisol Nichols), who breaks it to him that she’s dating someone else. I hereby note that Antonio’s job parking cars at a hotel is not in the least indicative of his doofusness, because working-class people deserve respect, and the movie makes a point of showing how snooty rich folk treat their valets like inferiors when they hand over the keys to their Ferraris and Mercedes. Antonio works hard and is a good man although sometimes, god help him, he acts a little too much like Mr. Bean.

Elsewhere in Los Angeles, a shitbird named Vincent (Max Greenfield) enjoys a clandestine hotel-room tryst with Olivia Allan (Weaving). He’s a failson-in-law who married into a billionaire family and works as a developer who’s going to gentrify the living crap out of Antonio’s neighborhood. She’s a highfalutin movie star on the cusp of releasing an Amelia Earhart biopic, and she’s waiting for Vincent to divorce his wife, Kathryn (Betsy Brandt), so they can stop sneaking around. They argue and it spills out into the street when fate (read: the screenwriter) puts Antonio in the middle of a juicy Vincent-Olivia paparazzi photo, which TMZ exploits for a zillion page views. Vincent fears losing his stake in the billionaire fortune, so he goes into damage control mode to hide his extramarital activity and curtail a scandal that would totally derail Olivia’s Earhart movie: He hires Antonio to pretend to be Olivia’s lover. Antonio agrees, but instead of asking for, I dunno, $150k, which he could totally get, he wants $12,850, which would pay off his ex-wife’s college tuition debt. Like a said – doofus. But a sweet doofus.

As you might predict, the scenario finds Antonio Mr. Beaning his way down red carpets, chowing down on free limo food, sweating profusely as Olivia kisses him in public, and being mistaken for the waitstaff at fancy parties. Olivia comes off a bit standoffish, but soon warms up to Antonio; she’s lonely and isolated and finds the warmth of Antonio’s omnipresent extended family endearing. Meanwhile, Kathryn knows she’s married to a weasel she can’t trust, and hires a slob private detective to follow the slob private detective Vincent hired to follow Olivia. Are Antonio and Olivia really going to fall in love and bridge the slob-snob divide? NO FRICKIN’ WAY.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Strong Notting Hill vibes here, and that’s a comparison I do not make lightly.

Performance Worth Watching: Derbez and Weaving are equally inspired here, whether they’re together on screen or apart. He finds the sincere, lovable soul beneath his character’s goofy facade. And she transitions from a satirical riff on Hollywood-star stereotypes to a grounded, thoughtful individual who just needs a friend and confidant. They offer way more than we’d expect from a silly high-concept comedy like this.

Memorable Dialogue: Olivia tells Antonio the truth he really needs to hear:

Olivia: How committed are you to the mustache? Antonio: You don’t like it? Olivia: No. No one does.

Sex and Skin: Olivia and Antonio stage a fake sex scene because they know they’re being watched by private detectives.

Our Take: The Valet is a legit charmer. It’s light, funny and heartwarming, and the cast transcends the formulaic components of its screenplay. Can we see some of these jokes, and the conclusion to the gentrification subplot, coming from a mile away? Sure. But the film uses its nearly two-hour runtime to find fresh, comedic, heartfelt material for these characters: The two detectives are rivals who become tender pals. Kathryn is not content to be the shitbird’s steamrolled wife. The interactions between Antonio’s mother and Mr. Kim are unexpectedly sweet (she speaks Spanish and he speaks Korean and neither speaks English, which makes for amusingly convoluted translations of their communications). And Weaving and Derbez find nuance in their interactions that sidestep the wackiness of the conceit and explore far more realistic angles on their relationship.

At first glance, the film is an eyeroller that mooshes together elements of buddy comedies, romantic comedies, wacky-ethnic-family comedies, class-divide comedies and spoofy movie-biz comedies. But that moosh features more jokes that land than whiff. Derbez’s subtle physical comedy wins us over, the old lady’s TMI sex talk comes from an honest place instead of a raunchy one, and Weaving shows us a character who performs while at work but is so very tired of performing during everyday life. The Valet subverts our expectations without sacrificing its broad appeal, and overcomes its genre limitations to be a little bit more than the sum of its parts. It’s a winner.

Will you stream or skip the unexpectedly delightful romantic comedy #TheValet on @hulu ? #SIOSI — Decider (@decider) May 21, 2022

Our Call: STREAM IT. The Valet is the rare feelgood movie that makes us feel good without bearing a heavy hand.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com .

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‘The Valet’ Film Review: Eugenio Derbez Farce Crashes as Both Rom-Com and Class Satire

This remake of a French comedy has ideas about racial and social divides in contemporary L.A., but it conks out at too many turns

Arguably, Mexican film and television superstar Eugenio Derbez has already conquered the American market. His 2013 film “Instructions Not Included” is the highest grossing Spanish-language film in the U.S. and grossed $100 million worldwide. He earned a SAG Award as part of the “CODA” ensemble cast, which went on to win the Best Picture Oscar, and he co-starred in the hit action-adventure “Dora and the Lost City of Gold.”

However, the attempts to launch him as a romantic leading man — in 2017’s “How to Be a Latin Lover” and 2018’s “Overboard,” a remake of the 1987 comedy — haven’t exactly lit the world on fire, even if they have been profitable.

But if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again, and Derbez is back, with “Overboard” writers Bob Fisher and Rob Greenberg, starring in and producing Hulu’s “The Valet,” directed by Richard Wong. It’s a remake of the 2006 French comedy of the same name, written and directed by Francis Veber, starring Gad Elmaleh in the title role. It’s one of those classic “fake relationship” rom-coms, a trope that has deep roots in the genre. Derbez plays Antonio, a Mexican-American valet who gets caught in a celebrity scandal and is paid to act as a young starlet’s boyfriend in order to cover up her affair with a powerful real estate developer.

Fisher and Greenberg have adapted Veber’s screenplay to Los Angeles, incorporating the regional and cultural specificities of the city to the story, as LA is a place where celebrity encounters are commonplace, gentrification threatens communities across the city, and as one famous movie Angeleno — Cher Horowitz of “Clueless” — once said, “Everywhere has valet.”

Through a series of unlucky coincidences, Antonio, a single dad living with his mother while he goes through a divorce, ends up in a paparazzi photo with actress Olivia Allen (Samara Weaving) and her lover, wealthy mogul Vincent Royce (Max Greenfield), who happens to have just announced a new development in Antonio’s largely Latino neighborhood of Pico-Union, threatening long-time residents and small businesses. When the photo of the three surfaces online — and speculation about Olivia and Vincent’s relationship threatens the box office of her new film “Earhart” and his relationship with his purse-string holding wife Kathryn (Betsy Brandt) — Vincent tracks down Antonio and makes him a cash offer to pretend to be Olivia’s new boyfriend. Antonio takes him up on it, thinking that the cash will help him win back his ex-wife Isabel (Marisol Nichols).

Babylon Damien Chazelle Flea MAx Minghella Samara Weaving

The relationship between The Actress and The Valet, staged in front of paparazzi cameras, is a hit. Remember the attention given to Cher and “Bagel Boy” Rob Camilletti back in 1986? Onlookers gawp at this union that traverses the socioeconomic and geographical divides of Los Angeles, and Antonio becomes a working-class folk hero for members of the community who feel they’re largely ignored and dehumanized by the wealthy individuals they serve.

“The Valet,” ergo, serves as a humanizing story, a call to action to treat other human beings with dignity and to reach across class divides to learn about each other. It turns out that Olivia is a tremendously lonely person, and once she gets to know Antonio’s warm family, she clings to the love they extend to her. Antonio, on the other hand, starts to bristle at everyone’s astonishment, reminding them that they are “underestimating the passion and charisma of a Latin man.”

But this Latin lover offers only friendship to the young ingenue. They are mismatched in more ways than one — most glaringly, that Derbez has got 30 years on Weaving. The age difference is just one way in which this film outstretches the audience’s disbelief and also kills any potential romance in this rom-com. It would have made more sense to pair Weaving with Amaury Nolasco (“South of Heaven”), who plays Antonio’s brother-in-law and boss, but then, “The Valet” wouldn’t have been a Derbez vehicle.

“The Valet” also feels wildly outdated because it hinges around the cultural importance of the paparazzi, which has vastly diminished since the advent of high-quality smartphone cameras and social media, wherein a celebrity can control and maintain their own image for their fans. Back in 2006, the presence of aggressive paparazzi was definitely an issue, when tabloid magazines and gossip blogs ruled pop cultural commentary. But now? Not so much. A contemporary film about celebrity image-making that doesn’t address social media or ubiquitous cameraphones just seems out of touch with the times.

The plot feels more like something out of the classical Hollywood era, with relationships arranged by publicists for the likes of Hedda Hopper to report on. It’s also a challenge to get caught up in the film’s high-concept credulity-straining antics when it also asks the audience to engage with real-world issues of racial and economic disparities.

Derbez plays the straight man here, as a flurry of self-obsessed, ridiculous rich people and their lackeys orbit around him. Weaving is committed to the bit and excellent as the actress who is simultaneously vapid and pretentious, slowly learning to become a real person again. Greenfield, sputtering with privileged entitlement, makes a perfect villain.

Because he’s playing it straight and grounded (though his hair is reaching for the heavens in a ridiculous flat-top), this just might be Derbez’s best leading man role yet, but the film itself is still fundamentally hampered by flaws in its conceit, and the execution is nothing to write home about. Fisher and Greenberg color in the margins with amusing characters — Antonio’s randy mother (the late Carmen Salinas) carrying on an affair with her Korean landlord, despite the language barrier, and a pair of squabbling private investigators who team up to work together, played by Ravi Patel (“Wonder Woman 1984”) and John Pirruccello (“Godzilla vs. Kong”) — but the story is nothing if not predictable.

Wong’s direction is serviceable: an opening sequence where Antonio bicycles home from Beverly Hills captures the unique and changing landscape of Los Angeles beautifully, and Wong seems interested in placing these characters within a distinct environment, but the film’s style is otherwise unremarkable.

The central relationship of “The Valet” is the weakest part of the film, and much of the comedy is a bit tiresome, though a few bits do pop. But one has to admire Derbez, as the star and producer, for bringing up the larger issues of race, class, money, stereotypes and workers in a comedy like this, and forcing the conversation, even when it’s messy and doesn’t always work. If “The Valet” makes you think about the ways in which gentrification and the exploitation of workers enables the massive wealth accumulation in a city like Los Angeles, built not on dreams but on the backs of others, in that way, it can be seen as a success.

“The Valet” premieres on Hulu May 20.

The Valet Movie Review: A Funny & Heartwarming Romp

By: Author Tessa Smith

Posted on Last updated: May 18, 2022

The Valet is a heartwarming romp of a film that is sure to bring a smile to the faces of every viewer, and perhaps a tear or two as well. Utterly charming.

The Valet is an adorable and fun romantic comedy that tells a surprisingly heartwarming story, while at the same time throwing in some important lessons about not judging a book by its cover. Heck, there is even a little bit of racism awareness thrown in — subtle enough to not be thrown in the face of the audience and take away from the story, but direct enough to make a point. This movie stars Samara Weaving as Olivia, a beautiful movie star, Eugenio Derbez as Antonio, a newly separated valet who keeps to himself and just goes through the motions of life, and Max Greenfield plays Vincent Royce, a narcistic millionaire.

The plot is exactly what you would expect from a romantic comedy. Olivia and Vincent are in a relationship. The problem is, Vincent is married. Even though he continuously tells Olivia that he plans to divorce his wife for her, this is not true at all because he is a afraid of losing his money and company to her. When the two lovers are photographed by the paparazzi, they must come up with a plan to keep their relationship a secret.

This is where Antonio comes in. He was also in the photo, so Vincent offers to pay him to pretend to be Olivia’s boyfriend to keep suspense off Vincent. He agrees, but Antonio is newly separated from his wife, whom he wants back, so of course this brings in even more antics and added layers. This is the same premise as 2006’s The Valet, a French film.

One of the best parts of this movie is the reaction that Antonio’s family, friends, and coworkers have to his relationship with Olivia. In order to keep it believable, he doesn’t tell them that it is all a ruse, which has them truly baffled how this shy and self conscious guy could land a movie star like Olivia. The running jokes about how he must be a wonderful Latin lover just get funnier and funnier.

Betsy Brandt plays Kathryn Royce, Vincent’s wife, and she doesn’t believe his scheme for a second. She isn’t in the film much, but when she is, she is fantastic. Greenfield himself is fantastic in this movie as well. He makes his character very easy to hate, pretty much right from the start. He comes from a background in comedy and so having most of the jokes on him is a refreshing change, and one that he portrays very well.

As for Weaving and Derbez, their on screen chemistry is what makes The Valet work as well as it does. Audiences will instantly connect with Antonio, and open up to Olivia as the movie goes on. The two help each other out which brings the heartwarming energy to this hilariously funny film. These two absolutely light up the screen. making this a must watch romantic comedy. They clearly had a blast together while filming, which oozes through their performances.

Carmen Salinas, who plays Antonio’s mother, steals quite a bit of the show herself. The two don’t speak English when they talk — which is a nice bit of representation on screen. Don’t worry non-Spanish speakers, there are subtitles so you won’t miss out on the jokes.

The Valet isn’t as predictable as you might think, either. Sure, certain things happen that are easy to call, but there are some twists, turns, and surprises along the way that will have audiences rolling with laughter — and shedding some tears. This is the perfect movie night choice. So grab your boyfriend, girlfriend, or best friend, and watch The Valet on Hulu May 20th!

Rating: 4 out of 5

Next: crush movie review: a charming & delightful rom-com.

About The Valet

In The Valet, world famous movie star, Olivia (Samara Weaving) faces a PR disaster when a paparazzi snaps a photo of her with her married lover, Vincent (Max Greenfield). The hard-working valet Antonio (Eugenio Derbez) accidentally appears in the same photo and is enlisted to pose as Olivia’s new boyfriend as a cover up. This ruse with Olivia thrusts Antonio into the spotlight and unexpected chaos. In this fish out of water romantic comedy, two worlds and cultures collide as both Olivia and Antonio start to see themselves more clearly than ever before.

The Valet, directed by Richard Wong and written by Rob Greenberg and Bob Fisher, is the English-language remake of the hit French film.

The Valet will stream exclusively on Hulu May 20th.

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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.

The Valet Review

A punishingly long and unfunny comedy..

The Valet debuts on Hulu on May 20, 2022.

Hulu comedy The Valet has the misfortune of being saddled with a nigh-unwatchable trailer , filled with punchlines that will, at best, induce silence, and at worst yield protracted sighs. The film itself has slightly more to offer, as a tale of a working-class Mexican valet who gets roped into the limelight alongside a famous Hollywood actress — but at nearly two hours in length, the final product feels punishing for different reasons. For one thing, it’s yet another horrid misuse of its star, Eugenio Derbez; for another, it tries to paste themes of culture and humanity onto a deeply absurd story. The idea isn’t inherently unworkable, but here, it’s a clash the movie can’t sustain.

It follows Antonio (Derbez), a down-on-his-luck Mexican immigrant on the verge of divorce who parks fancy cars for the L.A. elite. In a matter of happenstance — which, despite unfolding outside an upscale Hollywood hotel, has nothing to do with Antonio’s job at a fancy restaurant elsewhere — the lowly valet finds himself photographed by the paparazzi just as Hollywood superstar Olivia Allan (Samara Weaving) has a public spat with her secret lover, Vincent Royce (Max Greenfield), a married politician. To quell rumors of their affair, and to appease Vincent’s suspecting wife, Kathryn (Betsy Brandt), the illicit couple concocts a plan to have Antonio pose as Allan’s boyfriend, to which Antonio agrees, if only because the fee for this ruse might help his soon-to-be ex-wife, Isabel (Marisol Nichols), pay off some debts, which could in turn help win her back.

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If the premise sounds like a farce, that’s an apt description of the 2006 French comedy on which it’s based, La Doublure by Francis Veber. However, The Valet attempts to take a more thoughtful approach to Veber’s class satire by injecting it with sincere sentiment and a half-baked story of Latin American culture in Los Angeles, which ends up little more than window dressing. La Doublure’s trio of Indian remakes, in Hindi, Bengali, and Punjabi, may not have broken new ground, but in following the original’s outline to a tee, they ensured a winning formula. Where they expanded on the original’s mere 86-minute runtime with a few escapist musical numbers, The Valet strings together an additional half hour out of practically nothing — save for a deathly serious third act detour, which is technically something new, but it ends up having little impact on its central story.

Antonio is halfway between a know-nothing buffoon and a well-meaning father and husband, but these two halves of the character feel irreconcilable. He isn’t one person with multifaceted traits, so much as he is a broad comedic outline that swings wildly between these modes depending on what kind of punchline the script demands. Derbez, of course, performs adequately, but his role falls more under the category of pithy nonsense like the one he had in How to Be a Latin Lover, rather than the likes of Best Picture winner CODA, which offered him the chance to be both funny and fully human.

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This two-dimensional approach is applied to Greenfield’s Vincent too, a delightfully jealous villain who feels borrowed from the brain of Michael Showalter. But where this simplistic, farcical approach breaks down is in The Valet’s attempts to zone in on more complicated nuances, for characters like Weaving’s lonely Olivia, a pill-popping celebrity desperate to connect with anyone but her PR inner circle. The Antonio ploy finally offers her the chance, and Weaving makes a meal out of emotional scraps when she’s introduced to Antonio’s family, but she’s also saddled with the overwhelming majority of the film’s human scope. On the other hand, Derbez has the lion’s share of the comedic moments, usually born from the class disconnect between the unlikely duo, but each scene is strung together with such low energy, and such little thought for comedic or dramatic rhythm, that it feels like watching an assembly cut (one wonders if the film wasn’t edited to a laugh track).

The Valet’s conception of Los Angeles is just as sluggish. Its fleeting shots of lively Korean and Hispanic neighborhoods, meant to inject life into the frame (in contrast to the manufactured allure of stardom), are too brief and distant for a tale of the city’s disparate cultural elements being forced into contact; Olivia is, once again, tasked with providing this thematic contrast all on her own, since we meet no one else of her stature and barely interact with her world. Antonio becomes a local hero of sorts for dating a wealthy white woman, but rather than this plot point being treated with either outright comedic absurdity or a satirical eye, it's left hanging in a strange, disconcerting space somewhere in between, where the film can’t quite figure out how reconcile the original (all-white) story with this new racially specific premise.

A few subplots offer occasional promise — when Olivia interacts with Antonio’s wide-eyed Hispanic coworkers, or when Antonio’s mother begins a sweet romance with her eldery Korean landlord, both of which prove to be delectable comedic garnishing — but these lively characters, and their perspectives on love, fame, and everything else the film is actually about, end up being swept under the rug with a quickness. Unfolding plot points, whether tragic or comedic, simply circle the central duo and their unlikely camaraderie, seldom affecting how close they become, why they grow apart, or why they eventually re-enter each other’s orbits. It’s a rom-com of sorts that can’t seem to commit to any romantic or comedic idea, whether borrowed from the original film or invented whole cloth for this one.

A low-energy comedy remade from a French farce, The Valet tries (and fails) to inject an absurd story of stardom and fake romance with added commentary and sentiment. Eugenio Derbez and Samara Weaving lead a more than capable cast, but they can’t overcome the film’s sluggish length and disconnected story.

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Gun totin’ … Allee Sutton Hethcoat in The Stolen Valley

The Stolen Valley review – Thelma and Louise-lite road western has right on its side

Director Jesse Edwards’ feature is well intentioned, but paper-thin characters, implausible plot twists and soap-opera moments relegate it to hokey cheapness

O n paper this movie looks like it might be following in the footsteps of Martin Scorsese’s Killers of Flower Moon, as another step forward in Hollywood’s representation of Native Americans . Directed by Jesse Edwards, it’s a contemporary western with a well-intentioned storyline about the economic exploitation of Indigenous people over generations, dispossessed of land and resources. The trouble is, it’s also quite possibly the most unconvincing film of the year, with characters so thin you can practically see through them, implausible plot twists and a couple of intensely cringey soap-opera moments.

Briza Covarrubias plays Lupe, a sweet and friendly mechanic in her 20s. Raised by her Navajo mum Adamina (Paula Miranda), Lupe has grown up believing that her father died before she was born. But when her mum is diagnosed with a brain tumour, there’s a shock revelation: he’s alive and owns the land Adamina grew up on. He might even be persuaded to stump up the $50,000 for her cancer treatment. Lupe sets off to find him.

But wait, before she even makes it on to the bus, Lupe walks into a shootout and goes on the run with a rodeo rider called Maddy (Allee Sutton Hethcoat, wearing what looks like a fancy dress cowgirl hat bought from Amazon). The script goes for some Thelma and Louise style scrapes as the two women dodge baddies, resulting in some stonkingly ridiculous moments, like the scene in a biker dive where Lupe dances flamenco with such passion she melts the hearts of the bar full of tattooed toughies.

The land where her mother grew up is Alta Valley (a fictional place, shot in Utah), now overrun by rednecks. The cinematography here, capturing the fierce beauty of the craggy landscape, raises the quality an inch or two above hokey cheapness. In the end though, this is movie with right on its side but not a scrap of believability.

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The launching pad for Bertrand Bonello ’s new picture “The Beast” (“La Bete”) is a 1903 short story by Henry James called “The Beast in the Jungle.” Seen by some James scholars as an autobiographical expression of rue for a life of inaction, it treats the case of John Marcher, who confides in his acquaintance May Bartram that he lives in fear of an unnamable catastrophe that could upend his life, and the life of anyone close to him. She claims to get what he’s talking about.

“‘You mean you feel how my obsession — poor old thing — may correspond to some possible reality?’

‘To some possible reality.’

‘Then you will watch with me?’”

And so May does. And Marcher’s fear translates into a passivity that compels him to hold May at arm’s length for the rest of his life. At the end of the story, he mourns a love he never allowed himself to have and understands that the catastrophe was his own fear.

In Bonello’s film, the fear belongs to the popular Parisian concert pianist Gabrielle Monnier ( Lea Seydoux ), who, around the time of the great 1910 flood of France’s City of Lights, confesses this fear to Louis ( George MacKay ), a young Englishman with whom she soon begins a tentative liaison. But the trouble they encounter has nothing to do with Gabrielle’s reticence to enter into a romantic relationship with Louis—although that does exist.

Bonello’s not here to tell us that the only thing to fear is fear itself. He’s here to tell us to be afraid—be very afraid. What he delivers is not just a densely packed art movie but the most potent horror picture of the decade so far. A vision of three (actually four) nightmare times, all of them in the same vexed world.

The cataclysms that fall upon Gabrielle—played by a superbly controlled and often heartbreaking Lea Seydoux—aren’t spiritual or conceptual (well, of course, at first, they are), they’re “real,” or Real. They’re corporeal/physical, or simulations of the corporeal physical. And they’re unavoidable. Boy oh boy can you not stop what’s coming. Close that browser window, rewind that video, press mute on the sound system, reset the house alarm, none of it will do you any good. Not even an alteration in the fabric of reality itself—and this seems to occur at least a half dozen times in the picture—will stave off horror. The beast isn’t in the jungle, it’s in the house, and it’s in the air we can only barely breathe when the movie gets to 2044. It is in us; it is us.

Sounds cheerful, right? Well, what can I tell you? Bonello has a way of throwing us into an enhanced vision of the degrading noise of contemporary life that’s all the more engaging for being so even-handed and deliberate. I mentioned three timelines that are actually four—the movie is framed, kind of, by a green-screen session in which Seydoux, possibly playing Gabrielle, possibly playing herself, is coached through paces for a scene in which she actually apprehends “the beast” and lets out a blood-curdling scream. The image degenerates into a gorgeous abstract mural of pixels. Digitization is here both a source of ravishing sights and sounds and an Excedrin headache of aural and visual glitch. The movie then bounces through three time periods: 1910, 2044—where Gabrielle’s character seeks to abolish her reincarnation torment through a “DNA purge”—and most terrifyingly, 2014, wherein “Gabby” is housesitting in L.A. and targeted by the angry incel version of MacKay’s Louis—Louis Lewansky, who’s 30 and never been with a woman despite his “magnificence,” and who’s now getting ready to avenge himself.

Dolls are a recurring motif here—there are old-fashioned ones made for fans of the pianist Gabby, and unhelpful talking doll in the Hollywood house, and a walking, talking A.I. helper (played by Guslagie Malanda , as impressive here in a relatively small role as she was in the lead of 2022’s “ Saint Omer ”). An electrical fire figures in the 1910 sequence; a malware attack on a laptop is one of the insane blowups in the 2014 scenario. There are bits and pieces here that feel Lynchian, especially in the Los Angeles scenes, during which Gabrielle is fascinated/repulsed by a TV singing contest show that feels like it might have sprung full blown from the creator of “Twin Peaks.” Then there’s the fact that the love song recurring throughout shows up at the very end, sung in its original version by, well Roy Orbison. But unlike Lynch, Bonello has a decidedly un-obscure point to make. Mainly about how the pursuit of the authentic in life is invariably thwarted by roadblocks of humanity’s own making. (Although one supposes that the eighth episode of the 2018 “Twin Peaks” season treated that theme in a relatively unambiguous way.)

“There must be beautiful things in this chaos,” Gabrielle tries to reassure the movie’s scariest version of Louis at one point. Bonello, and this movie’s, greatest dread is that someday a terrible order will emerge, one that will make whatever beauty remains disappear.

Glenn Kenny

Glenn Kenny was the chief film critic of Premiere magazine for almost half of its existence. He has written for a host of other publications and resides in Brooklyn. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Film Credits

The Beast (2024)

146 minutes

Léa Seydoux as Gabrielle

George MacKay as Louis

Kester Lovelace as Tom

Julia Faure as Sophie

Guslagie Malanda as Poupée Kelly

Dasha Nekrasova as Dakota

Martin Scali as Georges

Elina Löwensohn as La voyante

Marta Hoskins as Gina

Félicien Pinot as Augustin

Laurent Lacotte as L'architecte

Xavier Dolan as Interviewer (voice)

Bertrand Bonello
Guillaume Bréaud

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‘The Beast’ Review: Master of Puppets

Bertrand Bonello’s latest film, starring Léa Seydoux and George MacKay as lovers in three different eras, is an audacious sci-fi romance.

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A woman in a white holds onto railings inside a studio space. Behind her, a fire rages.

By Beatrice Loayza

Bertrand Bonello’s “The Beast” is an audacious interdimensional romance, techno-thriller and Los Angeles noir rolled up in one. This shamelessly ambitious epic is about, among other things, civilizational collapse and existential retribution, yet it is held together by something delicate.

The prologue shows a green-screen shoot in which Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux) takes directions from a presence off camera and, with expert professionalism, braces herself to confront an imaginary monster. The effect is uncanny, wryly funny, weirdly sensual and very sad. Bonello sustains this unsettling tone throughout the film, although the individual parts are less consistent. This is the toll of shifting time periods, from a costume drama to a modern mockery of incel culture.

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With computer-generated imagery, any opponent — and any era — can materialize in the background. What does this mean for actors? The feeling that great forces move us like puppets runs through Bonello’s genre-bending work (in his 2017 film, “ Nocturama ,” a gang of teenage terrorists hide in a shopping mall and see themselves reflected in the consumerist sprawl).

“The Beast” follows Gabrielle and Louis (George MacKay), who are lovers, in three incarnations, through three timelines: Paris circa 1910, when the city flooded; Los Angeles in the 2010s; and Paris in 2044, a near-future in which artificial intelligence has almost overtaken the work force.

In 2044, Gabrielle is struggling to get a job. A disembodied voice at an eerily vacant employment agency tells her that her emotions make her unsuited to work, and a purification process that scrubs people of their pesky feelings is recommended. “All of them?” Gabrielle asks nervously. She is a pianist and an actor in earlier timelines, so she values her capacity to be moved and react authentically.

Gabrielle opts for a less intrusive process, envisioned as a bath in black goo and a needle prick in the ear, which involves scanning her past lives to reckon with the source of her sorrows.

Bonello was loosely inspired by “The Beast in the Jungle,” a Henry James novella about a man who is convinced his life will be defined by tragedy. The film’s early, belle epoque strand veers closest to this drama, with Gabrielle and Louis in an unconsummated affair, engaging in breathy conversations inflected with philosophy. In Los Angeles, Gabrielle is house-sitting in a glass mansion; Louis, an incel modeled after Elliot Rodger , fixates on her.

The Los Angeles section has the vibe of a surveillance-style slasher flick. Gabrielle’s laptop is infected by a virus that spawns dozens of nasty pop-ups, including one with a fortune teller. All the film’s talk about dreams and the people who exist within them add to this ambient menace.

Bonello has never been shy about showcasing his influences. Here, David Lynch is a lodestar. In Los Angeles, Gabrielle’s blond bob recalls Naomi Watts in “Mulholland Drive,” and she also sheds a tear while listening to a Roy Orbison cover. Then there’s the ending, a red-curtain climax that lands on a screeching revelation not unlike the finale of “Twin Peaks: The Return.”

The horror that hits in the final moments of “The Beast” tears open a fresh wound. What does the future hold if everything can be determined by the past? If new films are rehashes of old ones? If we’re condemned to the traumas of our previous lives? The film connects this to the emergence of artificial intelligence, which imitates but never truly creates. “Fulfillment lies in the lack of passion,” Louis tells Gabrielle. Is fulfillment what lies ahead?

The Beast Not Rated. In French and English, with subtitles. Running time: 2 hours 26 minutes. In theaters.

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IMAGES

The Valet (2022). Movie Reviews, Cast
The Valet (2022) Film Review
The Valet movie review & film summary (2022)
The Valet Trailer, Cast, Full Movie, Parents Guide
Review: The Valet Entertains Despite Its Flaws
Movie Review: The Valet

COMMENTS

The Valet movie review & film summary (2022)
The movie also belongs to that very satisfying sub-category of romcom where two people have to, for whatever absurd reason, pretend they are a couple. But "The Valet" is quirky enough that the "romcom" label stops making sense pretty early on. The film walks a delicate line. It's impossible to invest in the two main characters "getting together ...
The Valet
In "The Valet," world famous movie star, Olivia (Samara Weaving) faces a PR disaster when a paparazzi snaps a photo of her with her married lover, Vincent (Max Greenfield). The hard-working valet ...
'The Valet' Review: A Crowd Pleasing Buddy Comedy
Still, "The Valet" is an earnest crowd pleaser that unabashedly celebrates the bonds of a Latino family in a tight-knit neighborhood with rom-com aplomb. Rated PG-13 for language of a vroom ...
The Valet (2022)
The Valet: Directed by Richard Wong. With Eugenio Derbez, Samara Weaving, Max Greenfield, Betsy Brandt. A movie star enlists a parking valet at a Beverly Hills restaurant to pose as her lover to cover for her relationship with a married man.
'The Valet' Review: Winning Remake of 2006's Hit French Farce
In that regard, "The Valet" feels needlessly bloated at times, drowning the main storyline amid a crowded canvas of forgettable side-players. Still, the film makes good on its premise in the ...
The Valet (2022)
"The Valet" is a movie that has a good atmosphere to it and it makes you feel good, so thumbs up to director Richard Wong on that accomplishment. Lots of good comedy moments that made me have good, genuine laughs. My rating of "The Valet" lands on a six out of ten stars.
The Valet
The Valet is a very funny film about embracing yourself amidst the chaos of culture clash. Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 28, 2022. A charming culture clash comedy set in Los Angeles ...
The Valet Movie Review
Based on 1 parent review. mama D Adult. May 23, 2022. age 15+. Nice fun comedy! Yes it was an Adult movie in the best way, just a bit on the naughty side with some language, but truly a sweet and funny movie. Yes, it did feed the stero types both ways so I think it was done in a light hearted manner, fun to watch🌺.
The Valet
Olivia (Samara Weaving), a movie star, enlists Antonio (Eugenio Derbez) - a parking valet - to pose as her lover to cover for a relationship with a married man (Max Greenfield). As a valet, the hard-working Antonio usually flies under the radar but his ruse with Olivia thrusts him into the spotlight and brings him to see himself more clearly than ever before.
The Valet (2022) Review
The Valet (2022) IMDB: Link. Premiere Date: 20/05/2022. Runtime: 124 min. Genre: Comedy. Cast: Eugenio Derbez, Samara Weaving, Max Greenfield. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Review Score: 7. It can be hard ...
The Valet (2022 film)
The Valet is a 2022 American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Wong and written by Bob Fisher and Rob Greenberg.It is a remake of the French film The Valet (2006) by Francis Veber.It stars Eugenio Derbez and Samara Weaving, with Max Greenfield, Betsy Brandt, Marisol Nichols, Amaury Nolasco, Carmen Salinas, Noemi Gonzalez, Armando Hernández, Carlos Santos, Ravi Patel, and John ...
'The Valet' review: Eugenio Derbez's Hulu rom-com clicks
"The Valet" starts with a "fake lovers" premise routine in rom-coms, but this Hulu original film doesn't park in the wide-open spot. The funny, grounded remake of a 2006 French comedy ...
The Valet Review: Eugenio Derbez & Samara Weaving Delight In Hulu Rom-Com
Though The Valet perhaps takes on too much all at once and can be a bit slow at the beginning, it is a success as a heartwarming exploration of friendship and family. More: Senior Year Review: Rebel Wilson Leads Bland, Heartless Netflix Comedy. The Valet begins streaming on Hulu Friday, May 20. It is 117 minutes long and rated PG-13 for sexual ...
The Valet (2022)
The Valet, 2022. Directed by Richard Wong. Starring Eugenio Derbez, Samara Weaving, Ravi Patel, Amaury Nolasco, John Pirruccello, Max Greenfield, Betsy Brandt ...
The Valet (2022) review
This review of Hulu film The Valet (2022) does not contain spoilers. The return of the rom-com continues as Hulu is releasing the film The Valet. The movie is a remake of the French film La doublure. I was excited to check this one out as I am a fan of Eugenio Derbez and Samara Weaving. We meet Vincent Royce (Max Greenfield), a politician ...
The Valet
The Valet, Hulu's (or Disney+ Star in other countries) refreshed take on a 2006 French film sharing the same name and premise, accomplishes this with an excellent cast, but an even better secret weapon - charm. The Valet centers around Antonio (Derbez) who works as a parking valet at a prestigious restaurant.
'The Valet' Hulu Review: Stream It or Skip It?
The Valet is the rare feelgood movie that makes us feel good without bearing a heavy hand. John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work ...
The Valet Film Review: Eugenio Derbez Farce Aims at Class ...
'The Valet' Film Review: Eugenio Derbez Farce Crashes as Both Rom-Com and Class Satire. This remake of a French comedy has ideas about racial and social divides in contemporary L.A., but it ...
The Valet REVIEW
There's still much to enjoy here, so if you desire a fun, entertaining movie to spend a couple of hours with, give The Valet a shot. Review screener provided. READ NEXT: 15 Best Horror Movies on ...
The Valet Movie Review: A Funny & Heartwarming Romp
The Valet is a heartwarming romp of a film that is sure to bring a smile to the faces of every viewer, and perhaps a tear or two as well. Utterly charming. The Valet is an adorable and fun romantic comedy that tells a surprisingly heartwarming story, while at the same time throwing in some important lessons about not judging a book by its cover.
The Valet (2022) Movie Review
The Valet (2022) Movie Review - A silly but funny fish-out-of-water comedy. 24 May 2022 24 May 2022 by Lee Brown. A silly but funny fish-out-of-water comedy. The Valet is a remake of a 2006 French comedy and while I have no idea how good the original was, I am pleased to say that the new incarnation is pleasantly enjoyable.
The Valet Review
All Reviews Editor's Choice Game Reviews Movie Reviews TV Show Reviews Tech Reviews. Discover. Videos. ... The Valet Review. 4. Review scoring. bad. The Valet is the least energetic comedy of 2022.
'The Valet' Ending Explained: Does Olivia fall in ...
The Valet Plot Synopsis. The Valet is a new romantic comedy streaming on Disney+ in the UK and Hulu in the US and is worth a watch if you're looking for something light and funny for your evening viewing.. The movie tells the story of Antonio and Olivia, a parking valet and megastar who slowly get to know one another while pretending to be in a relationship.
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The movie then bounces through three time periods: 1910, 2044—where Gabrielle's character seeks to abolish her reincarnation torment through a "DNA purge"—and most terrifyingly, 2014, wherein "Gabby" is housesitting in L.A. and targeted by the angry incel version of MacKay's Louis—Louis Lewansky, who's 30 and never been with ...
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‘The Valet’ Review: Winning Remake of French Farce Brings ‘Notting Hill’ Vibes to Tinseltown

Tomris Laffly

Reviewed online, May 17, 2022. MPA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 118 MIN.

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The Valet (2022) Review

“ The Valet manages to deliver a fun and heartfelt film…”

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