What's in a Name

What's in a Name? (French: Le prénom) is a 2012 French comedy-drama film directed by Alex Lutz and produced by Plaroid. The film stars Patrick Bruel, Valérie Benguigui, Charles Berling, Guillaume de Tonquédec, Judith El Zein, and Françoise Fabian. The movie follows Vincent (Patrick Bruel), a successful real estate agent in his 40s, who is invited to dinner by his sister Elisabeth (Valérie Benguigui) and her husband Pierre (Charles Berling), a university professor. Their childhood friend Claude (Guillaume de Tonquédec), a trombonist for Radio France's orchestra, is also present. Vincent's wife Anna (Judith El Zein) is running late due to a business meeting. During the dinner party, Vincent decides to play a practical joke by pretending that his unborn son will be named Adolphe after the French literary hero. This sparks a heated argument between Vincent and Pierre about the appropriateness of the name, considering its association with Adolf Hitler. The conversation escalates, revealing various old grievances and resentments between the four friends. As the evening progresses, huge revelations are brought to light. Claude reveals that he has been seeing a woman but refuses to divulge more information, while Pierre confesses to having killed a family pet during their childhood when Vincent had taken the blame for it at the time. Meanwhile, Anna is frustrated that Vincent has not tried to learn more about her career despite her success. When pressed for more information about his mysterious partner, Claude eventually reveals that it is Vincent and Elisabeth's mother Francoise (Françoise Fabian). In his shock, Vincent strikes Claude, leading to a series of confrontations and revelations that expose the deep-seated tensions and secrets among the group. The film explores themes of family, friendship, loyalty, and hypocrisy as the characters navigate their complicated relationships and confront their flaws and secrets. The film was well-received by critics and audiences alike for its witty dialogue, strong performances from the cast, and thought-provoking exploration of human relationships.

What's in a Name is currently unavailable to stream in undefined on the streaming services we have in our catalogue

Some movies that have similar genres and were produced around the same time as What's in a Name include This Is 40, Easy A, The Hangover Part II, St. Vincent, Superbad, Goon: Last of the Enforcers.