By entering the comedy set The cook and the customs officerJulie Le Breton was excited about the idea of playing alongside French actor Édouard Baer, whose humor she always appreciated. On the eve of the end of filming, she was happy with the experience.
“It went really well,” reveals with a smile the actress, who we met on the film set in L’Assomption on Thursday.
“Édouard has this kind of character that is inside him, that follows him and that is very funny. He loves words and loves the right word. His humor was welcome on set.”
Laurence Grandbois Bernard
In “The Cook and the Customs Officer”, the next feature film from director Manon Briand (Liverpool, La turbulence des fluids), Julie Le Breton slips into the shoes of Sonia, an uncompromising customs officer who lives in a small village on the edge of the border, that separates Quebec from the United States.
Since her daughter Lili-Beth (Élodie Fontaine) has very little chance of winning a Petits Chefs competition she has entered, she will try to get Victor (Édouard Baer), a French chef in need of fame, away to convince him. Help him.
Laurence Grandbois Bernard
Described by Manon Briand as a “feel-good film,” The Cook and the Customs Officer explores a genre rarely explored in Quebec cinema: the romantic comedy.
“It is true that there we find the basis of a romantic comedy, namely two people who are complete opposites and who, because of circumstances, realize that perhaps they are made for each other,” notes Julie Le Breton.
“But the film is structured differently. It’s as if Sonia and Victor ended up starting a family rather than a couple. She has experienced things in the past that caused her to lose trust in men. After that, how do you go about lovingly rebuilding yourself and trying to start a family by letting a man enter your and your daughter’s life?
The filming of “The Cook and the Customs Officer” also allowed Julie Le Breton to return to comedy, which has multiplied her dramatic roles in recent years.
“It feels good to be in a comedy where the tone is lighter and there is a light,” she slips. Nevertheless, it is a comedy in which there is nuance and truth at play.”
Laurence Grandbois Bernard
Although he has several friends in Montreal and has traveled to Quebec many times in the past, Édouard Baer has never had the opportunity to make a film in the province of La Belle. The 56-year-old actor, known for his roles in “Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra” and “Mademoiselle de Joncquières,” had no difficulty integrating into the Quebec team of “The Chef and the Customs Officer.” He was seen laughing with team members between takes on Thursday.
“I like it when something happens on set,” says Baer, who is known for his improvisation skills.
“I like it when people scream, when people make up, when we laugh and there are jokes. I need this to keep my energy up. Otherwise, I have the impression that acting is a technique like any other.”
Filming of “The Cook and the Customs Officer” began on September 14th and will end on Saturday. The film is scheduled to release next June.
“We want to release the film in cinemas at the beginning of the summer because it is a popular comedy that I think can reach audiences of all ages. That is our goal,” says Manon Briand.
Sylvain Marcel, Dominic Paquet, Lélia Nevert, Oussama Farès, Douaa Kachache and Normand Chouinard are also part of the cast of The Chef and the Customs Officer. Montreal chef Samuel Sirois, a Canadian nominee for the 2023 Bocuse d’Or, served as culinary consultant for the film.