THE CHATEAU

Year: 2001
USA: IFC Films
Cast: Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, Sylvie Testud, Didier Flamand, Donal Logue, Maria Verd, Nathalie Jouen, Marie Girard, Estelle Sobelman, James Lyons, Pierre Michaud, Christian Marti
Director: Jesse Peretz
Country: USA
USA: 93 mins
USA Rated: R for strong language
USA Release Date: 23 August 2002 (Limited Release - Los Angeles)
USA Release Date: 9 August 2002 (Limited Release - New York)


Synopsis

A pair of mismatched American brothers venture abroad to claim their inheritance in THE CHATEAU a hilarious, bi-cultural comedy from filmmaker Jesse Peretz.

Inspired by Peretz's experiences living and working overseas, THE CHATEAU finds an abundance of humor in the comic misunderstandings that occur when two disparate souls journey to France to claim an unexpected inheritance. Bringing a little attitude and a lot of ignorance, they find the chateau's French inhabitants to be a lot more than they bargained for.

Armed with cell phones, a French/English dictionary and a good old American moxie, the brothers - one a white semi-slacker, the other a black entrepreneur - do little to belie their 'Yankee' reputation that sparks a clash of cultures. Can these two opposing cultures find peace, love and understanding, without blowing the roof of the chateau?

The journey begins when the orphaned Granville brothers, Graham (Paul Rudd) and Allen a.k.a. I Rex (Romany Malco) learn that through convoluted French law they unexpectedly inherited a vast chateau in the French countryside from an unknown, long-lost great-uncle, Count Jacques Granville. Anxious to claim their birthright, discover their roots and cash in on this lucky break, the pair travels to France for what they think will be a quick and easy transaction.