Some films show business ideas that probably wouldn’t be viable or have enough of a market outside the cinema (in real life), or perhaps they would.
Even so, you can see how, in fiction, the ideas we are about to describe have something that real-life businesses do need: specialisation, originality, professionalism, distinction and, in these particular cases, exclusivity for a very small potential market.
1. Heartbreaker (L’Arnacœur, released in Spain as Los seductores). The business: professional couple-breaker
The business in this film is a company dedicated to breaking up couples. Above all, it has its principles: it would never break up a couple for racial or religious reasons. It only steps in if the woman is unhappy, or is unhappy without knowing it.
They are so sure of their service that if, after the couple has split, the two get back together later, the company refunds the money. A hard business to make work, but a film with a good dose of humour.
2. The Alibi. The business: perfect alibis for infidelity
This company is dedicated to leaving no loose ends in an affair. The service is aimed, obviously, at clients with plenty of money. The company prepares the ground: calls are diverted to its own switchboard, and the spouse is monitored to make sure they don’t uncover the husband’s or wife’s lie.
They make sure there is no hotel or restaurant receipt in the husband’s name. If the partner tries to track down their spouse, the company makes sure there is nothing suspicious to find.
3. Hitch. The business: the “date doctor”, a dating coach
This business idea makes more sense, and in fact it is carried out in many places and in several areas of our lives. In this film starring Will Smith (as a self-employed professional), his job is to make sure a man can win the woman of his dreams simply by teaching him the right steps to charm and win her over.
Any man can win over any woman… if he knows how: that is one of the premises of the business, which requires gathering information about the woman beforehand, her tastes, interests, hobbies and the type of person she is attracted to. Once all the necessary information has been collected, the “dating coach” starts giving his client guidelines: how to dress, how to behave, what to do and what not to do… In short, advice to achieve a goal. As we said, this business has useful applications in other fields, since, as we have seen, there are personal coaches, fitness coaches, management coaches and so on.
4. The Game. The business: an extreme-entertainment company
Michael Douglas lives a real nightmare in this film. On his birthday he receives a gift from his own brother: entry into an extreme-entertainment game in which you can’t tell where the game ends and real life begins. The company does such a thorough job that everyone close to the client is part of the game.
The purpose and outcome of the game is to make the client understand what really matters in life. A very expensive service, delivered with perfect professionalism and aimed at customers who can afford to pay large sums of money.
As we said at the start, these ideas may not be viable in the real world, or perhaps they are. It’s a matter of letting your imagination run free and putting to work your ability to adapt a specific idea to another product or service.
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