A thirtysomething Parisian couple finally follow their dream of owning a rural bed and breakfast, only to discover that dreams aren't all they're cracked up to be in Claude Duty's 2003 comedy Bienvenue a gite (Bed and Breakfast). Bertrand (Philippe Harel) and his girlfriend Caroline (Marina Fois) buy a multiple room bed and breakfast in Provence and eagerly leave their big city, Parisian lives behind for what they imagine to be a more relaxing and introspective rustic existence. Arriving in their new home proves to be a much bigger change than either expected, however, with little actually changing in Caroline's outlook on life other than the focus of her incessant micromanaging. Bertrand, after some difficulty, begins to acclimate to his new surroundings and makes some new friends, including Peter (Michael Maloney) and Julien (Sebastian Barrio), the owners of a nearby gay-orientated bed and breakfast. The defining moment for Bertrand and Caroline's relationship -- and sanity -- comes when Caroline volunteers to spearhead the village's millennial anniversary, which proves to be a much larger undertaking than anything she tried to do while still living in Paris.
by Ryan Shriver
synopsis
