The Closet
A timid factory accountant fabricates a gay identity to save his job, unleashing a sharply playful chain reaction of prejudice, panic, and unexpected personal change.
Overview
A mundane accountant's life takes a wild turn when a rumor about his sexuality spirals out of control, leading to unexpected transformations.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- irreverent
- warm
- lazy sunday
- lighthearted movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found it an entertaining, polished French farce with strong performances and pointed social humor, though some felt its predictable premise limited its surprises.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
François's neighbor deliberately spreads a rumor that François is gay to protect his factory job.
The factory's reactions turn antidiscrimination anxiety and homophobia into targets of blunt farcical humor.
Factory management changes its treatment of François because it fears a sexual-discrimination lawsuit and public consequences.
François remains essentially bland while colleagues, managers, and acquaintances reveal their own assumptions through the rumor.
Films like The Closet, and why
The Dinner Game
shared french farce tradition, workplace satire, mistaken identity, and socially pointed humor
La Cage aux Folles
shared lgbtq-themed farce, broad comic reversals, and playful critique of social prejudice
Tootsie
shared workplace comedy, identity performance, and warm ensemble humor built around escalating misunderstandings
Mrs. Doubtfire
shared fish-out-of-water premise, comic social disguise, and optimistic challenge to conventional respectability
Movie Details
- Director
- Francis Veber
- Release Date
- 2001-01-17
- Runtime
- 84 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (538)
Cast
- Daniel Auteuil
- Gérard Depardieu
- Thierry Lhermitte
- Michèle Laroque
- Michel Aumont
- Jean Rochefort
- Alexandra Vandernoot
- Edgar Givry
- Irina Ninova
- Marianne Groves
Common questions
- What is The Closet about?
- A timid factory accountant fabricates a gay identity to save his job, unleashing a sharply playful chain reaction of prejudice, panic, and unexpected personal change.
- What is The Closet like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Closet as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Closet violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Closet.
- What did critics think of The Closet?
- Critics broadly found it an entertaining, polished French farce with strong performances and pointed social humor, though some felt its predictable premise limited its surprises.
- Which films are like The Closet?
- Films with a similar feel include The Dinner Game, La Cage aux Folles, Tootsie, and Mrs. Doubtfire.
- How long is The Closet?
- The Closet runs 84 minutes.
