- Release year: 2022
- Director: Richard Wong.
- Producers: Eugenio Derbez and Ben Odell.
- Screenplay by: Bob Fisher and Rob Greenberg.
- Cinematography by: Mateo Londono.
- Music by: Heitor Pereira.
Synopsis: an actress pretends to date a valet to cover up her affair with a married businessman.
Shotgun Commentary: inconsequential, but fun.
Review
The Valet is the comedy that won’t change your life in any way, shape, or form, but brings forth important systemic issues in the funniest way possible. That being said, it is among the slowest rom-coms ever, which is not great if you’re trying to make it in this genre.
The story follows famous actress Olivia Allan (Samara Weaving). She gets caught arguing in public with her lover Vincent Royce (Max Greenfield), a married businessman. In the photograph that the paparazzi takes, both lovers and valet Antonio Flores (Eugenio Derbez) are shown talking. This moment takes place because Antonio has had an accident against Olivia’s Uber. However, in order to keep Olivia and Vincent’s relationship secret, Olivia pretends to date Antonio. This way, her company and Vincent’s marriage remain intact. The lie leads to a world-famous romance that gets the public invested due to the taboo nature of a famous actress dating a poor valet… The fact that he could be her father doesn’t seem much of an issue here.
Luckily enough, the film is very much aware of the age gap, so you won’t get another Love Hurts (2025) type of situation. Instead, you get a pretty accurate relationship between people of their respective ages, which sets the film apart as there is no impossible, and frankly weird AF, forced romance that has no business being there.
The unexpected surprise
What you do get is a hilarious take on US racism and classism. One that includes both intentional and unintentional acts, as well as the psychological toll these have on their victims. Antonio is the clearest case of it. He is a man who, while on a date, gets confused with a waiter and treated like dirt. Instead of yelling a few chosen thoughts at the rude woman, like anyone who feels comfortable and safe in the society they live in would, he serves her the water she’s demanding to avoid trouble.
Trouble for what? Existing, apparently. He lives in such fear of being deported back to Mexico that, even with his papers in order, he doesn’t think twice about complying with outrageous demands just to avoid trouble. This harsh reality from 2022 has only gone from bad to worse since, making this movie as relevant as it is (sadly) forgettable.
As for the classism, it is more of the same. People are shocked that a rich woman would date a poor man in public, but they are totally willing to believe that she is a rich man’s mistress. In all fairness, that is exactly what is happening in the film, but it still is a matter to pause on. What kind of world do we live in where cheating on your same-social-strata partner is the daily bread, but dating someone from a different economic status makes the world clutch their pearls? I never thought I’d be getting philosophical with this film, but here we are.
Final thoughts
Last but not least, it is fair to mention, considering the “Find a bad Samara Weaving film” challenge that’s been going on as of late, that this is not a bad film per se, but it definitely has got a lot of tickets to win that lottery. Weaving is great at comedy, which is pretty obvious if you’ve seen any of her films. Still, one can’t help but miss the gore when she’s on screen.
All in all, The Valet is a fun enough film for a chill afternoon, with enough social critique to keep you grounded whilst trying to have fun. The acting is great; the premise isn’t revolutionary, but its development does bring a few laughs. Watch with low expectations, and you might find it pretty enjoyable.
Advice to take from this movie:
- It is insane that this one is necessary, but: treat people who work in service like human beings, BECAUSE THEY ARE.
- Don’t let people treat you like someone you’re not.
- A flashy car won’t get you the girl.
What’s your take? Have you watched The Valet? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀