(Ahhhhhh.... Parisiens in love...)
CAST: Juliette Binoche, Romaine Duris, Fabrice Lachini, Melanie Laurent, Albert Dupontel, Francois Cluzet, Karin Viard, Gilles Lelouche, Julie Ferrier, Sabrian Quazani.
DIRECTOR: Cedric Klapisch
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and a bunch of frisky Parisiens doing the LOVE ACTUALLY thang - straight ahead....
IT'S LIKE THIS: Pierre (Romaine Duris), the ostensible hero of our next review, is having a bad week. Sure, he's a hot French guy with an awesome Paris apartment and an even more awesome big sistah named Elise (Juliette Binoche), but what good is all of that if you've only got a few months to live? You see, Pierre finds out from his good ol' doctor that he has a rare heart condition and must undergo a heart transplant - which may not even guarantee Pierre any additional time. Still, Pierre insists that some chance is better than no chance at all, and pushes for the procedure.
In the meantime, he has no choice but to have Elise and her kids move in to take care of him. Elise soon discovers that Pierre has been passing the time waiting for news of a heart donor by observing his hot sexy female neighbor across the street and daydreaming about her. She is Laetitia (Melanie Laurent), and is a co-ed with romantic issues of her own. You see, she is being wooed (via text messages) by her college professor, Roland (Fabrice Lachini), who is at least 30 years older than her, and let's just say the dude is not exactly a silver fox like Kevin Costner or Dennis Quaid. More like a really old version of Napoleon Bonaparte, or any of the pervs on TO CATCH A PREDATOR.
Elise is having romantic tribulations of her own. Burned by a bad marriage, she has pretty much closed the door on love - until Pierre tells her to open it and see what happens. Sure enough, she meets a sweet produce manager named Jean (Albert Dupontel). Unfortunately, Jean is also friends with a colossal douchebag named Franky (Gilles Lelouche), who basically treats pussy the way Captain Ahab treated Moby Dick: "Thar She Blows!" Then there's Roland's brother Philippe who is having marital woes of his own. Then there's the snooty, demanding flower shop owner (Karin Viard) and her loyal employee Khadija (Sabrina Quazani), who has a secret crush on Pierre. See how everything comes full circle?
So... how will all these loosely-connected love stories end? Will Pierre get the heart transplant he so desperately needs? Or will he spend his last days wishing his neighbors well in their little dramas? Will Elise and Jean end up marrying? Or will that douchebag poonhound Franky drive a wedge between them? Will Roland wake up and realize that Laetitia is young enough to be his daughter? Will Laetitia wake up and realize that there are better guys her own age? Will Khadija muster up the courage to tell Pierre she fancies him? Will Pierre get his happy ending? One that doesn't involve scented candles, baby oil, a masseuse who looks Chris Evans, and BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN playing in the background?
Not that I would know anything about that last one...
BUT, SERIOUSLY: In 2004, LOVE ACTUALLY was released and single-handedly created s new sub-genre within the Romantic Comedy Genre: The Ensemble Romantic Comedy. Sure, ensemble films are nothing new. Robert Altman's films like SHORT CUTS, THE PLAYER, PRET-A-PORTER, and GOSFORD PARK are invariably ensemble films, and many other directors have used this narrative technique to weave multiple stories and characters into a complex whole. The difference between LOVE ACTUALLY and those films, though, is that all its threads are love stories - each a mini-romantic comedy of its own.
LOVE ACTUALLY was a hit in both England and the U.S., and was a vibrant mix of tart, droll humor, and a romantic stance that was both understated and direct. In short, the formula was just right. The movie had enough sarcastic humor in it too keep from being corny, and just enough genuine emotion in it to keep from being false and posturing. It's a formula that several films have since tried to emulate: PARIS J' ETAIME, NEW YEAR'S EVE, NEW YORK I LOVE YOU, and VALENTINE'S DAY. Our current review, PARIS (not to be confused with PARIS J'ETAIME, which has the same set-up but is executed differently) is probably the most interesting of the LOVE ACTUALLY clones.
What sets PARIS apart from all the other films seeking to duplicate LOVE ACTUALLY's multi-threaded romantic tapestry (and from LOVE ACTUALLY itself) is its melancholy and somewhat dark tone. While it is most definitely light-hearted overall, there are pockets of sadness and gloom scattered throughout the narrative. This is most apparent in Pierre's centerpiece thread about his heart condition. It's very fitting that a film about love and its complexities would be anchored by a character whose heart is biologically failing him - but is spiritually making him stronger. Romaine Duris imbues the role with layers of feeling, hope, and class. As with Princess Andromeda from our last review, CLASH OF THE TITANS, Pierre refuses to be a victim in the face of the dire situation he finds himself in. Rather, he finds a way to be a positive force of hope for those around him.
Chief among the folks Pierre influences is his fiercely loyal sister Elise, played by Juliette Binoche in another wonderful performance. Binoche was one of many terrific things in THE ENGLISH PATIENT, BLUE, and CHOCOLAT (among many sterling films), and she also proves to be one of PARIS' major assets. In her hands, Elise is a no-nonsense woman whose pragmatic view on life conceals an underlying fragility. Under Pierre's counsel, she learns to open up and risk taking a chance with Jean, the local produce manager who is Elise's match in age, temperament, outlook, and personality. As Jean, Alfred Dupontel epitomizes middle-aged sexiness and intelligence. Dupontel and Binoche also make a compatible couple, chemistry-wise.
Melanie Laurent, Fabrice Lachini, Francois Cluzet, Karin Viard, Gilles Lelouche, and Sabrina Quazani are all strong in their various respective story threads. Quazani is especially enchanting as the flower shop girl whose interest in Pierre is put on hold because of his heart condition. Their short scene towards the end is a textbook example of how a tiny scene can burst with subtext and hidden emotion, if handled properly. Needless to say, both Duris and Quazani acquit themselves well here. The ambiguous ending is also particularly moving, and is a perfect blend of heartbreak and hope.
Ultimately, PARIS is an atypical entry into "The Ensemble Romantic Comedy" sub-genre that LOVE ACTUALLY started. It distinguishes itself from its peers by displaying an inherently French melancholy and fatalism that actually enhances the various romances, and is beautifully accented by lovely performances from Romaine Duris and Juliette Binoche. A solidly good film....
In closing, please chill to the lovely tunes of "Breakthrough" by Public Symphony, which is the song that plays over PARIS' American trailer.
