The successful London entrepreneur Andrew Blake (John Malkovich) actually just wanted to go on vacation to France, to the “Domaine de Beauvillier”, where he once met his wife Diana and spent happy days. The reception is not very friendly and instead of being a guest, he finds himself mistakenly hired as a probationary butler by the landlady, Madame Nathalie Beauvillier (Fanny Ardant). Bored with his old life, he plays along with the game. Soon, under the strict supervision of the eccentric housekeeper and cook Odile (Émilie Dequenne) and her cat Mephisto, he serves breakfast to the widowed landlady, answers her mail and makes himself useful with work around the house. And not always according to castle etiquette. As “at the service of Monsieur Blake” he manages, in his unconventional way, to bring a breath of fresh air into this stately, dusty microcosm, which also includes the young housemaid Manon (Eugénie Anselin) and the shirt-sleeved gardener Phillipe (Philippe Bas). and gain pleasure from life. True to the motto: Happiness through anarchy. British humour, blunt eccentricity and quiet melancholy reign in this best-selling film adaptation by author and director Gilles Legardinier, which is not least enjoyable thanks to the fantastic acting performances.