The Toy

An unemployed journalist takes a job at a well known businessman's newspaper. The man's son can have anything he wants from the shop, and one day he picks him. The film carries the idea all the way: he really does go home as a child's toy, and he agrees to it. The narrative gets its comedy from the fear of losing a job and never softens the employer. Francis Veber wrote and directed, with Pierre Richard. It was later remade in America. Who it's for: those who like French comedy built on class. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a light family comedy; the premise is uncomfortable from the start, and the film knows it.