In Paris (2006)

Don't Believe the Hype

Boring

Absolutely brilliant

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

one of films who see for rediscover yourself. like each simple film about basic truths about family, siblings relations, about force of words and about the acceptance of the other and the acceptance of yourself, a film who reminds Ingmar Bergman cinematography and New Wave. in fact, the film of happy meet between great actors - Romain Duris remains one of my favorites - . and a film about near every day reality. and nothing more.

This movie is very, very dull. I think for a movie that deals with loss, love, families and death it is incredibly cold and not involving with standard acting and too much irrelevant dialogue. I can not understand other comments about deep philosophical meaning and original approach - it is not a Hollywood rom-com, but it is very very shallow and banal (love ends, families are families, honest talking is difficult). There are a few moments that are just irritating and pointless (the song over the telephone, jumping in the Seine, successfully chatting up girls in the street)It is not a good movie and it is not a bad one - it is just very forgettable

Paul(Romain Duris) can't live with or without Anna(Joana Preiss). Jonathan(Louis Garrel) broke the fourth wall in the opening moments of "Dans Paris" and announces that the movie won't have a narrator. He's not the main character; Paul is, according to Jonathan. The narrator is lying. Jonathan's the main character because "Dans Paris" is about narration. Like most films, "Dans Paris" will proceed with omniscient narration. Unlike most films, however, the audience isn't made aware of this given. There's a tacit agreement between the filmmaker and moviegoer that the film begins where the backstory leaves off. But Jonathan speaks directly to the camera, forcing the viewer out of his passive stance. Jonathan isn't Paul's big brother, but he is "big brother" in the Orwellian sense of the word. Jonathan is literally, the omniscient narrator."Dans Paris" breaks down its story into two sections: Paul with Anna, and Paul without Anna. This compartmentalization extends to the mode of narration. When Paul and Anna are together, "Dans Paris" records their relationship in a non-linear fashion. When they're apart, the story becomes more sequential in its telling. The first part is told in non-sequential order because Jonathan picks and chooses what interests him the most; not surprisingly, most of the scenes feature Anna in a state of undress. Personal hygiene, or the lack of personal hygiene, is a subject that Anna broaches when Paul leaves their bed to take a shower. Anna believes Paul is leading by example. Paul's decision to lather up, Anna thinks, is tied in to the hope that she'll follow suit. Accused of being rank in a passive-aggressive fashion, Anna flips her lid. Since it's unlikely that Paul would share this moment with Jonathan, the viewer is led to believe that the younger brother is a filmic interloper, the camera's eye in the flesh. When Jonathan bumps into an old flame, this ex-lover cites personal hygiene for their break-up. In other words, "Dans Paris" has echoes. If Jonathan "controls the vertical and the horizontal", he controls the story of his life that's being narrated. Three women in one day, hmmm. We see it. But we see what he wants us to see.A cursory glance at "Dans Paris" suggests that this neo-French New Waver is about a sad man who lost his girlfriend, but if you're attuned to the self-reflexive opening, you'll understand that it's really about narration.

I saw many movies in Cannes last month and this was one of them. I was impressed by the performances of leads Romain Duris and Louis Garrel, who play brothers. Garrel narrates the story of his brother Duris who leaves Paris to live in the province with his girlfriend and her son.I saw director Christophe Honoré's last movie Ma mère starring the always great Isabelle Huppert also in Cannes two years ago and was very disappointed, even if I liked all the actors in that movie. However, this was a much better developed movie that shows more promise. Dans Paris also reunites two actors from that last movie of Honoré, Louis Garrel and Joanna Preiss.The influence of New Wave director Truffaut is obvious and sometimes, Louis Garrel reminded me of a young Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud). What I liked the most about this movie is that the plot is not like the typical Hollywood movie. It is about the emotions and relations of these brothers, their father and the other people in their lives. It will come out in France in October. I hope it shows in other countries too, because it is a worthy film. Maybe in the states it will come out on DVD at least.