The Valet

The Valet is a 2022 American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Wong and written by Bob Fisher and Rob Greenberg. It is a remake of the French film The Valet (2006) by Francis Veber. It stars Eugenio Derbez and Samara Weaving, with Max Greenfield, Betsy Brandt, Marisol Nichols, Amaury Nolasco, Carmen Salinas, Noemi Gonzalez, Armando Hernández, Carlos Santos, Ravi Patel, and John Pirruccello in supporting roles. The film is dedicated to Salinas, who died in 2021. The plot follows a parking valet (Derbez) who is hired to date an actress (Weaving) trying to cover up an affair. The film was released on Hulu on May 20, 2022. It received generally positive reviews from critics. Plot Antonio Flores is a humble valet living with his mother Cecilia. He is separated from his wife, Isabel, and shares custody of their teenage son. His neighborhood is under threat of upcoming gentrification plans, which local bike shop owner Natalie is trying to fight. Meanwhile, actress Olivia Allan is having an affair with city developer and married billionaire Vincent Royce. One night, when Olivia is getting into her Uber with Vincent standing next to her, Antonio crashes his bike into the car. The three are photographed together, sparking rumors of Olivia and Vincent's affair. Fearing he will lose his company if his wife Kathryn divorces him, Vincent comes up with a plan to have Olivia and Antonio pretend to be a couple. Olivia accepts because she wants to avoid any bad publicity before the premiere of her new film, Earhart, in which she stars as Amelia Earhart. Antonio requests $12,850 to pay for Isabel's debts. Antonio and Olivia go out for lunch surrounded by paparazzi, where Olivia is rude and calculating, and Antonio is out of place. Everybody falls for the ploy, except for Kathryn, who hires a private investigator to tail them. At the premiere of Earhart, she questions Antonio, who stands up for himself when she criticizes his occupation. As he leaves the event, Antonio realizes that he has become famous, especially within the Latin American community. Antonio and his friends drive a drunk Olivia home to avoid any unflattering paparazzi pictures. The next day, Olivia is given a proper breakfast by Antonio's family. She admires their closeness and love for each other. Vincent is incorrectly led to believe that Antonio and Olivia slept together, making him jealous.