The Closet tells the story of Francois Pignon, who after twenty years working as an unnoticed office worker in a condom factory discovers he's soon to be made redundant due to corporate downsizing. Recently separated from his wife and son, and with the thought of unemployment looming Pignon decides suicide is his only option, luckily his neighbour overhears Pignon talking to himself and talks him around with a plan to save his job. The neighbours plan is quite simple, all Pignon has to do is tell his employers he's gay, in the age of political correctness any dismissal of a homosexual employee could look like discrimination, therefore would panic the company into keeping him on. Overall, the film is incredibly funny with plenty of laugh out loud moments, and the storyline is very clever in exploring Pignon's work life and relationships with those around him. A particularly funny relationship is that between Pignon and Félix Santini (Gérard Depardieu) the factory's personnel manager, a macho bigoted homophobe whose clumsy attempts to appease his gay employee drive him to the brink of insanity. The whole cast is great especially Daniel Auteuil as the mild mannered Pignon who wants little more than a stable life and the love of his estranged family. The great thing about 'The Closet' is that it satirises without preaching, and has a story and characters that keep you hooked. If you love comedy then this film will have you in stitches, highly recommended.
The acting, atmosphere and filming are distinctively French. The humour varies from slapstick to pathos. Some of the plot is quite poignant like the treatment of alleged sexual harassment of male homosexuals by females. Most of it however is risibly amusing and charmingly acted.
Brilliant and unexpected performances from Daniel Auteuil and Gerard Depardieu in a wonderful send up of office politics - in of all places a condom factory.