Guess Who's Calling!
| Guess Who's Calling | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| French | Le Répondeur |
| Directed by | Fabienne Godet |
| Written by | Claire Barré Fabienne Godet |
| Based on | Le Répondeur by Luc Blanvillain |
| Starring | Salif Cissé Denis Podalydès |
| Cinematography | Éric Blanckaert |
| Edited by | Florent Mangeot Florent Vassault |
| Music by | Éric Neveux |
Production company | Le Bureau |
| Distributed by | Tandem |
Release date |
|
Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
Guess Who's Calling! (French: Le Répondeur, lit. "The Answering Machine") is a French comedy film, directed by Fabienne Godet and released in 2025.[1]
The film stars Salif Cissé as Baptiste, a comedy impressionist who is struggling to break through in his career, and Denis Podalydès as Pierre, a writer who is struggling to minimize life distractions as he works on his new novel. After Pierre has the idea to hire Baptiste as a human answering machine, impersonating him on the phone so that he can avoid talking to people himself, career and personal complications ensue when Baptiste begins to improvise the things he says to Pierre's callers.[2]
The cast also includes Clara Bretheau, Aure Atika, Manon Clavel, Ismaël Sy Savané, Harrison Arevalo, Serge Postigo, Thierry Bosc and Camille Cayol in supporting roles.
Production
The film was shot in summer 2023.[3] It was adapted from Luc Blanvillain's 2020 novel.[4]
Distribution
The film premiered on 14 January 2025 at the L'Alpe d'Huez Film Festival,[5] before going into commercial release in French theatres on 4 June.[6]
It is slated to screen in September 2025 at the 2025 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival in Canada.
Critical response
Aurore Engelen of Cineuropa wrote that "At first glance, Guess Who Is Calling seems to be based on a wholly implausible premise, but it only takes one scene led by Salif Cissé (discovered in the brilliant All Hands on Deck) – in which he tries to copy the writer’s voice - for us to suspend all manner of disbelief, as happens with any good fiction film. He’s extraordinary, both in his imitations and in his subtle portrayal of a kind of masculinity which embraces its vulnerabilities. A special sort of intimacy subsequently develops between the two men, a kind of circumstantial fusion, which takes the time it needs to morph into friendship. The film is indisputably a comedy, but it nonetheless flirts with a range of genres, from buddy movie through to romcom, gleefully playing with the idea of false identity and doubles to create dramatic tension and comical situations."[7]
Awards
At Alpe d'Huez, the film won the Prix du Public.[8]
References
- ^ "'Le Répondeur' de Fabienne Godet : Un bijou cinématographique français salué par les critiques du Masque". Radio France, 15 June 2025.
- ^ Yannick Vely, "« Le Répondeur » de Fabienne Godet : la critique d’une comédie irrésistible". Paris Match, 4 June 2025.
- ^ Fabien Lemercier, "Fabienne Godet’s Guess Who Is Calling? ready to start filming". Cineuropa, 22 August 2023.
- ^ Hocine Bouhadjera, "Le répondeur de Luc Blanvillain adapté au cinéma". ActuaLitté, 7 Septmeber 2023.
- ^ François Léger, "Alpe d'Huez 2024 : on a vu L'Amour c'est surcoté et Le Répondeur". Première, 15 January 2025.
- ^ Marie Janeyriat, "Denis Podalydès et Salif Cissé réinventent Le répondeur : bande-annonce". Première, 30 April 2025.
- ^ Aurore Engelen, "Review: Guess Who Is Calling". Cineuropa, 10 March 2025.
- ^ "Festival de l'Alpe d'Huez 2025 : découvrez le palmarès complet". CNews, 19 January 2025.