Paris

In Paris, Cédric Klapisch has created a varied group of intersecting characters that reflect their urban setting. Their storylines pass throughout the diverse sections of the metropolis. This vibrant portrait of the film’s titular city will be irresistible to Francophiles. The top cast of actors, including Oscar-winner Juliette Binoche, could widen the film's interest to other artfilm enthusiasts like the audience that popularized Paris Je T'Aime.

Romain Duris portrays Pierre, a far different character from the energetic Xavier, focal character of L'Auberge Espagnole and Russian Dolls, two of his six collaborations with writer-director Klapisch. Pierre, a dancer at the Moulin Rouge, is unable to dance because of a serious health condition. He is awaiting a heart transplant. With physical movement constricted, Duris effectively conveys Pierre's apprehensiveness about his future and frustration as he watches "other people live". His sister Élise (Binoche), a single mother and social worker, takes care of him. Binoche brings her natural charm to her compassionate character.

Two brothers represent the association of old and new, as Klapisch describes contemporary Paris. Roland (Fabrice Luchini) is a history professor at the Sorbonne and the guide for a DVD tour of Paris. Going through a nervous depression, he falls in love with a much younger student (Mélanie Laurent) and enters the relationship with enthusiasm. His architect brother Philippe (François Cluzet), building a new Left Bank development, is expecting his first child.

Jean (Albert Dupontel) is a grocer with the stress of running a fruit and vegetable stall with his ex-wife Caroline (Julie Ferrier). She is attracted to Jean's friend Franky (Gilles Lellouche), a fishmonger. Jean becomes drawn to Élise. Other characters include a bigoted woman (Karin Viard) running a bakery and an immigrant from Cameroon.

Klapisch successfully creates a panoramic view of Paris, both in photogenic images and in the very engaging characters, representing the different areas and lifestyles of the city, crossing paths in unexpected ways. In a spirited encounter, some young women from the fashion industry get a tour of the food warehouse from admiring men who work in the markets. Klapisch said of his film, "Just like a metro map, Paris is a network of interconnections. To be able to create a portrait of Paris, you have to go in all directions—it mustn't be linear. You have to respect the complexity of the city. And it's also the fragmented shape that brings out the proliferation and lively side of Paris."

The main characters are comfortable fits for the performers as Klapisch said that his leading parts were written with the actors in mind. The multiple combinations of personalities play well off of each other. As emotional ties change, Klapisch's film remains absorbing and often moving. The closing scenes after Pierre receives crucial news on his medical situation are particularly strong.

Distributor: Samuel Goldwyn
Cast: Juliette Binoche, Romain Duris, Fabrice Luchini, Albert Dupontel, François Cluzet and Karin Viard
Director/Screenwriter: Cédric Klapisch
Producer: Bruno Levy
Genre: Drama; French-language, subtitled
Rating: R for language and some sexual references.
Running Time: 129 min
Release Date: Unset 2009