Universal to Helm Remake of Mon Meilleur Ami

We're finally to a point where foreign-language movies can make it big stateside. Mel Gibson has done a lot for this, between Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto. Woody Allen will soon have his Spanish/English production. Clint Eastwood used Japanese in Letters from Iwo Jima. So why on earth must Hollywood continue to re-make overseas films without giving them a chance here? Mon Meilleur Ami, a French film that just premiered at TIFF last year, has already been grabbed by Universal and Brian Grazer for a remake -- only a month after it was released in France.

The original, directed by Patrice Leconte, follows François Coste, a conceited art dealer who is shocked when he finds out that all of his "friends" don't like him, and that he doesn't have one single friend. However, he denies this up and down, and his business partner makes a bet with him that if he can produce a genuine best friend, he can keep the Greek vase he picked up with the business' money. If not, it's hers. After continually running into the same affable cabbie, he hires the man to teach him how to find friends with the "three S's" -- sociable, smiling and sincere.

Daniel Auteuil (Caché) is great as the clueless dealer, and the only hope I see for this new film is if they pull a Abres Los Ojos/Penélope Cruz/Vanilla Sky deal and grab him again for the remake. Or, better yet, forget the film and move on to the next project. There is no cast yet, so you still have time to back out, Grazer!