Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Chinese Puzzle Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 16, 2014

Richard Linklater is being touted as having the inside track for next year’s Academy Award for Best Director due to his breathtaking, almost audacious, generation spanning work to create Boyhood. Shot over the course of twelve years, Boyhood documents significant changes in a cast of characters portrayed by a coterie of actors who, not to put too fine a point on it, age in front of the camera. While the transition from childhood to adolescence to young adulthood gives Boyhood a fascinatingly visceral visual impact, much the same span of time—a dozen years more or less—is covered in a trilogy of films by French director Cédric Klapisch, all of which feature (aging) characters played by the same actors. 2002’s L’Auberge Espagnole introduced audiences to graduate student Xavier (Romain Duris) whose chance to study abroad in Barcelona means having to leave his girlfriend Martine (Audrey Tatou) behind. A revolving door of relationships unfolds in the film, including some involving one of Xavier’s roommates, a pretty Englishwoman named Wendy (Kelly Reilly). The film ends in a bit of romantic disarray, but with Xavier deciding to jettison his (economics) studies to pursue a career as a writer (evidently regular paychecks are not an issue for him). Three years after L’Auberge Espagnole came along, Klapisch reunited several of the characters again for 2005’s Les Poupées russes (Russian Dolls). Against considerable odds, Xavier is earning a regular paycheck with his writing, while Martine has moved on to have a child and pursue her career. Once again romantic entanglements take up the bulk of the film, with the squabbling family dynamics of Wendy’s brood providing much of the drama (and occasional humor). Russian Dolls ends with the hint that perhaps Xavier and Wendy are moving toward becoming a couple.

While Klapisch uses the perhaps over obvious metaphor of a Chinese puzzle to reflect on the chaos of Xavier’s life as he turns 40, viewers not already conversant with these characters from the previous films may feel as if they’ve wandered into a cinematic labyrinth. While Chinese Puzzle is perfectly understandable on its own terms, there’s going to be a missing contextual aspect for newcomers which may slightly subvert this film’s attempt to depict a trio of focal characters—Xavier, Wendy and Martine—as they come to terms with being middle aged and (horror of horrors) actual, honest to goodness adults.

As with the previous films, Klapisch eschews linear storytelling, at least at times, and in fact exploits that very nonlinear approach by having Xavier discuss his similar writing technique with his agent via recurring Skype calls. Xavier is now in New York, attempting to churn out his latest tale, but as the film reveals in dribs and drabs that flash backward and forward throughout time and location (with past scenes taking place in Paris), a lot has happened since Russian Dolls. He and Wendy did indeed begin a relationship, ultimately getting married and having two deliciously cute children. But there are trouble signs on the horizon, even if Klapisch is a bit discursive in detailing them. The main breaking point seems a bit silly—Xavier’s lesbian friend Isabelle (Cécile de France) is feeling her biological time clock ticking and really wants to be a mother. Xavier, perhaps giving in to her incessant whining on the subject, agrees to be a sperm donor, but when he asks Wendy for permission, she is not overly enthusiastic. When Wendy is offered a job in New York, she simply informs Xavier she’s leaving with the kids. It’s a perhaps underdeveloped plot point, but it sets up the rest of the film’s (once again) revolving door of relationships.

As evidenced by the early reveal that Xavier is in New York (Klapisch actually plays with this denouement, detailing the multicultural aspect of the city so that it’s initially unclear exactly where Xavier is), it’s no big surprise when Xavier decides to move to the Big Apple so that he can be near his kids. That sets up the longish middle act of the film, where Xavier has to come to terms with living in a frankly insane environment while trying to make a living and adjusting to the American way of life. He discovers Wendy is involved in a new relationship (there’s a wonderfully awkward scene between Xavier and Wendy’s new main squeeze), but soon Xavier is thrown for even more of a loop when Martine Skypes him one day to say she’s due in New York and would like Xavier to pick her up at the airport.

There’s nothing overly revelatory with what happens next, but Chinese Puzzle benefits from the familiarity at least some will have with these characters by this point, as well as from Klapisch’s quietly observational style. Duris is a bit manic again as Xavier, and Tatou is relegated to what amounts to a supporting role. Most of the dramatic fireworks (such as they are) come courtesy of the characters of Wendy and Isabelle, two (obviously very different) women who are out to craft their own lives their way.

Chinese Puzzle is often very sweet, and occasionally wryly humorous. The location photography in New York is one of the film’s chief allures. Both the excitement and grittiness of Manhattan (especially the West Village where much of the film takes place) are captured through Xavier’s often wide eyes. Klapisch seems to subscribe to the iconic words of one Fred Ebb about those who “can make it there” being able to persevere anywhere.

Chinese Puzzle Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Chinese Puzzle is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Cohen Media Group with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. This appears to be sourced identically to the French Blu-ray reviewed by my colleague Dr. Svet Atanasov. Rather than echo Svet's comments, other than to reiterate how warm and inviting the color space is here, I refer you that review for his assessment. I'd also point out that Klapisch (as is his wont) exploits a number of cinematic bells and whistles, including split screen and graphics, as well as a number of whimsical elements like the "paper cut out" sequence detailing Xavier's history with Isabelle (see screenshots 3 and 10), or the amusing moment when two pictures in one of the girlie magazines Xavier is using to make his "deposit" burst into life (see screenshot 5). There are a couple of very niggling contrast issues, notably in the dark scenes of Xavier in his New York hovel, but they're largely inconsequential given the overall excellence of this transfer.

Chinese Puzzle Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Unlike the French Blu-ray release, this domestic Chinese Puzzle comes equipped with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks largely in French, but with a smattering of English and Spanish here and there. For some reason, this disc has been authored to default to the Dolby Digital 5.1 track instead of the lossless option, something I frankly didn't even realize until I was partway through the film and started checking specs. That may be one indication of how relatively unambitious the sound mix is for this film. There's certainly solid surround activity courtesy of elements like the busy cityscape of New York, and there's even good lower midrange to low range exploitation courtesy of some source cues, but there's nothing here that made my ears perk up and wonder "is that a lossy track?" Toggling between the lossy and lossless tracks does reveal some differences in dynamic range and the low end. All of this said, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track supports the film's nice blend of dialogue, effects and score perfectly well, with excellent fidelity and no problems of any kind.

Chinese Puzzle Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 1:56)


• Interviews (1080p; 35:26) contains one set with Tatou and De France and another with Durio and Klapisch.


• Making of Featurette (1080p; 52:35) features some great behind the scenes footage of Klapisch scouting locations. There are also snippets from the first two films, helping to catch up viewers who have either never seen them or have forgotten some story elements.

Chinese Puzzle Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

For those who haven't been following the now dozen year long adventures of Xavier, Wendy and Martine, entering this film in media res may prove to be something of a Chinese puzzle in and of itself. As with previous entries, there's an effortless ebullience here, but Chinese Puzzle also does a good job looking at real life issues like "blended" families and coming to terms with middle age. Technical merits here are very strong, and Chinese Puzzle comes Recommended.