Wide Load

Two very different men cross paths in a clash of speed and inertia. Foster, a fast talking go-getter, runs into Taupin, a towering, unhurried observer. What seems trivial at first hints at something larger, as each man imagines the other’s fate in starkly dramatic terms. Their encounter becomes a playful challenge to the ordinary, a game of exaggeration and possibility. Taken together, their banter and misplaced ambitions push them toward moments that could redefine how they choose to live, if only they could stop second guessing what might happen next. Their exchanges mix crude wit with surprisingly tender moments.

Directed by Bertrand Blier, Wide Load arrived in 2019 as a French comedy built around unlikely rivals. The film draws on Blier's screen pen rather than a literary adaptation, featuring a high profile duo in an offbeat, character driven setup, with Depardieu and Clavier leading cast.

Box office data for Wide Load is not widely reported. The film appears to have had a limited release in France and select markets with no widely publicized worldwide gross figures available.

Its cultural footprint is modest, with few lines becoming iconic in wider pop culture. Wide Load sits among Bertrand Blier’s late career experiments, relying on the chemistry between Depardieu and Clavier rather than memorable catchphrases. It invites discussion about aging, ambition, and the humor found in stubborn contrasts.

Critics framed the film as a dry, observational comedy that leans into the tension between speed and slowness as a mirror for desire and fear. The performances ground the premise, with Depardieu delivering brash bluntness and Clavier offering measured restraint. Some reviews praised Blier for his straightforward setup that toys with fate, while others found the humor too niche. The core themes circle ambition, risk, and the choices people make when confronted by their own limits.