Pierre (Klapisch alter-ego Duris) is a one-time dancer awaiting a life-saving heart transplant, being cared for by his social worker sister Elise (Binoche).
Elise is attracted to divorcee market trader Jean (Dupontel), while Pierre obsesses over neighbour Laetitia (Laurent), a beautiful student who is also the object of affection for Roland (Luchini), a historian suppressing the recent death of his dad and literally trapped in the past, resenting architect younger brother Philippe (Tell No One’s Cluzet) who is building both the future Paris and a new family.
A loose, slow-burn story shifts between the characters, their love lives, disappointments, hopes and foibles, sometimes splashing in soapy suds but held together by the gorgeous photography that hangs on Pierre wistfully overlooking Paris from his balcony, bouncy music selections moving between Europop, rock n’ roll and classical, and a nice line in sharp humour (Karin Viard as an acid-tongued bakery owner is judiciously used for comic relief).
But, Klapisch understands a film this talky sinks or swims on the strength of its cast, and assembles a solid troupe of French talent (resisting the urge to use ubiquitous Daniel Auteuil), including the sad-faced Duris, the comic Luchini (Duris’ Moliere co-star), Dupontel and French institution Binoche, whose smile melts her face like ice on a hot plate.
Too rambling at 130 minutes, scenes of Jean’s market trader buddies could have been chopped down and subplots involving illegal immigrants and vapid socialites should have been dropped completely.
But, moments such as Roland’s nervy trip to a psychiatrist, Elise’s bashful striptease and an out of the blue death (not Pierre’s) make this a worthwhile watch.
Not so much Paris Je T’aime, more Paris pas mal.
Rob Daniel
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