Il était une fois, une fois (2012)

Willy Vanderbrook, a French-Belgian citizen nicknamed “Cassoulet” by his friends (his mother is from Toulouse and his father from Brussels), applies for a job as a concierge at the Westin Paris-Vendôme, a large Paris hotel. He arrives in Paris and stays with one of his friends, Serge, a Belgian expatriate who manages the bar “La Chope Namuroise” and whose wife left him for a Flemish man. Serge is also putting up Frank Vrut, his brother-in-law, a separatist who dreams of becoming a bodyguard like his idol, Frank Farmer from *Bodyguard*. His application is rejected because of his Belgian identity, and after witnessing people mock him, Willy decides to get revenge by passing himself off as a Belgian prince back from safari. He manages to get invited, along with a few friends (including Frank and Serge), and during the party he wrecks part of the hotel (running up a bill of more than ) and humiliates the head chef, who had dared to make fun of his accent. He catches the eye of Jessica, a professional con artist, who drugs him and takes compromising photos, thinking he is an heir to the Belgian Crown. But when she wakes up, she discovers that he is not a member of the royal family and runs away, leaving him tied to the bed. The next day, when Willy, Serge and Frank return to their bar, they find Jessica waiting for them. She proposes that they steal a set of jewelry commissioned by a fence (she is on parole), by once again posing as a Belgian royal couple at a ceremony taking place five days later (with Frank as bodyguard and Serge in charge of security). But Willy thinks Jessica, who also goes by the name Cécile, is not Belgian enough for his liking. So, with help from Serge, Frank and other Belgians, they teach her Belgian humor and history, Belgian manners, and help her work on her accent so she can be convincing. One day, while accompanying Jessica to a care home where she meets her daughter, Willy is moved by Jessica’s story before realizing that she lied to him and has no daughter. He decides, along with Serge and Frank, to carry on with their plan while double-crossing Jessica… On the evening of the ceremony, Willy and Jessica, posing as Louis and Madeleine of Belgium, are exposed by Stéphane Bern, a television host and leading expert on the Belgian royal family, who is himself neutralized by Frank. Jessica manages to steal the jewelry and hand it over to Serge, but she is arrested while the others flee. Remorseful, they turn back and return for Jessica before the police take her away. The whole gang leaves in a limousine, and Willy and Jessica share a kiss. Later, our protagonists have gone straight and give lessons in “Belgian-ness.”