Welland Community Cinema

Mr. Blake at Your Service! is a warm-hearted French comedy-drama about grief, friendship and the unexpected pleasures of starting again. John Malkovich stars as Andrew Blake, a successful English businessman struggling to find purpose following the death of his beloved wife.

Seeking solace in happier memories, Blake travels to France and the magnificent château where the couple first met many years earlier. But a misunderstanding on his arrival produces an unexpected turn of events: instead of becoming a guest, Blake finds himself taken on as the household’s new butler.

The château proves to be populated by an engaging collection of characters, each carrying troubles of their own. Its elegant but financially troubled owner, Madame Beauvillier (Fanny Ardant), maintains a formidable exterior while concealing her loneliness. Meanwhile, the cook, housekeeper and other members of the household gradually draw Blake into their complicated personal lives.

Initially bemused by his new circumstances, Blake begins quietly helping those around him. In doing so, he discovers that this eccentric household may have something to offer him in return: companionship, a renewed sense of purpose and a way of coming to terms with his own loss.

Adapted from Gilles Legardinier’s bestselling novel, Mr. Blake at Your Service! combines gentle humour, romance and an attractive French setting with a touching story about people finding one another when they most need connection. With the wonderfully contrasting presence of Malkovich and Ardant at its heart, it is an affectionate, feel-good film about kindness, second chances and discovering that life can still contain surprises.