Audrey Tautou plays Irene, a high-maintenance, gold-digging prostitute (in all but name) who moves from one elderly millionaire to another in the hopes of seducing and convincing them into marriage, while in the meantime milking all she can from their companies. It’s a life of fashion labels, champagne, and living the high life in expensive hotel suites, all for free. Then, in an uncontrollable one-night stand, she sleeps with waiter Jean. He falls hard for Irene and becomes a constant thorn in her side, as she goes about her mission in life.
It is Audrey Tautou’s fate to be compared to her namesake Audrey Hepburn, and Priceless is proof of this – it’s basically a homage to Hepburn’s classic Breakfast At Tiffany’s.
This amazing film explores the etiquette of attraction and the complexity of love, creating an intelligent and rich romantic comedy. It is subtle, smart and insightful. The actors do a great job – it would have been so easy to end up looking lame, but they totally pull it off. However, the most impressive part of this film is that is looks at the lives of gold diggers and gigolos without any judgment, which was a truly arousing experience. I have a horrible fear that there will be an American remake, which will inevitability be a moralistic abomination. But fortunately for us, we can be swept up in the highly enjoyable Priceless – before Hollywood screws it up.
PIERRE SALVADORI