Le Grand Role (2005)

French Jewish actor Maurice (St&#233phane Freiss) and his three fellow thespian friends have been waiting years for their big break. The future looks bright when the famous American director Rudolph Grishenberg (Peter Coyote) comes to Paris and offers Maurice the part of Shylock in his Yiddish screen adaptation of The Merchant of Venice. But his fortunes reverse quickly when Maurice learns that the role must go to another more famous actor and that his beloved wife Perla, played by the luminous B&#233r&#233nice Bojo, is gravely ill with cancer.

Maurice is so in love with Perla that he even photographs her in secret while she's at work. After Perla's illness becomes apparent, Maurice realizes that the only thing keeping Perla happy is knowing that her husband is finally going to make it big in show business. This inspires Maurice to take on the role of his life in the mad hope that he can keep his beloved wife alive and happy.

Maurice and his friends will go to any lengths to keep Perla's spirits up and create a web of support to protect her from the truth. They chauffeur Maurice each morning to the film set, conduct mock TV and magazine interviews, and even kidnap Grichenberg to take him to meet Perla.

Adapted from a novel by Daniel Goldenberg. More »

•