Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Paris Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 24, 2008

Following a familiar route - a colorful collage of individual stories where jaded characters struggle with personal demons - Cedric Klapisch's latest, "Paris" (2008), is yet to pen a North American release date. Across the Atlantic, however, the film was well received by the French critics and scored high with aficionados primarily due to the solid contribution by the lead duo Duris-Binoche. A terrific soundtrack adds plenty of flavor to this beautifully-lensed film as well. With optional English subtitles. Region-B "locked".

Romain Duris as Pierre

A disillusioned cabaret dancer, Pierre (Romain Duris), is told that he is seriously ill. His only chance for survival is a high-risk surgery, which could be deadly. Unable to cope with the news, Pierre looks for solace in his sister, Elise (Juliet Binoche), a social worker, who has problems of her own. But as time goes by and Pierre’s condition worsens, he begins to see the world around him differently.

While Pierre and Elise struggle to console each other, their lives intersect with a colorful group of characters living in the City of Lights. A renowned professor (Fabrice Luchini) falls for one of his students (Mélanie Laurent); a jaded produce seller (Albert Dupontel) attempts to become friends with Elise while working with his ex-wife (Julie Ferrier), a racist boulangerie owner (Karin Viard) contemplates hiring a North African clerk (Sabrina Ouazani); and an African from the island of Moyotte (Marco Prince) decides to follow his dreams and reach Paris.

Revealing a distinctively Robert Altman-esque look, Paris is a film that follows a noticeable trend in recent Gallic cinema where established French directors have come forward to celebrate their favorite city. From Olivier Assayas’ Paris, je t’aime (2006) to Danièle Thompson’s Fauteuils d’orchestre (2006) to Christophe Honoré’s Dans Paris (2006), these films offer complex personal stories where the bursting with life French metropolis has a role of its own.

Cerdic Klapisch’s latest film isn’t an exception. Paris follows the deeds of a group of protagonists whose lives take unusual turns amidst the busy streets of the French capital. Employing familiar techniques already witnessed in the director’s earlier works (L’Auberge espagnole), the script for Paris is very much indicative of what the French refer to as Comédie dramatique, a unique blend of socially aware storytelling where humor and drama are closely intertwined.

While there are indeed some similarities between Paris and Klapisch’s earlier works, however, this is a film with a notably weaker international appeal. It is very much a French affair, where typically French views of love, commitment, the meaning of life and modernity are carefully touched upon. The cast is very impressive, and there is a sense of finesse their acting exudes that neither Peut-être (1999), nor Ni pour, ni contre (bien au contraire) (2002), nor Les Poupées russes (2005) have been able to achieve.

The seemingly chaotic progression of events in Paris plays an integral part of how the film is viewed. Drama, humor, and romance overlap each other quite well introducing a sense of uncertainty the great Robert Altman mastered to perfection. As a result, one could never quite tell where the story is heading, as all of the climaxes in it are temporary, avoiding typical cliches we have come to expect from Hollywood cinema. Indeed, Paris is a film that tells a story with a uniquely Parisian dressing.

The terrific lensing in Paris brings forward familiar locations from the City of Lights. Yet the film’s charm stems from its diverse soundtrack, offering original tunes by Robert Burke, Loïc Dury, and Christophe Minck, where jazz, folk, ambient, and electronica are blended to perfection.

Paris Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.34:1, encoded with VC-1 and granted a 1080p transfer, Cedric Klapisch's Paris arrives on Blu-ray via French distributors Studio Canal.

I was very much looking forward to seeing this film given my positive experience with the director's previous works, typically very expressive and intelligently composed film, and I was definitely not disappointed. The French distributors have provided a competent transfer of very high quality, which certainly compliments Paris quite well. The color-scheme is very convincing and above all perfectly balanced. The gorgeous vistas from the City of Lights look terrific without even a smidge of color-bleeding. The picture is well defined, fresh-looking, and free of heavy noise filtering. Some of the indoor scenes look slightly softer than some of the outdoor panoramic vistas, but the transfer most certainly reveals a balanced look, which I believe replicates the theatrical look of the film flawlessly. Furthermore, you will immediately be able to tell that Paris is a very recent film, as the actual transfer is simply immaculate - you won't notice any debris, dirt, or damage. On the other hand, detail is just as impressive, allowing one to truly be immersed into the hectic Parisian lifestyle. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Paris Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master 5.1 and French Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. For the record, Studio Canal have provided optional English and French SDG subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

Paris is a wild roller-coaster of complex scenes where comedy and drama are intertwined exceptionally well. Logically, often times when the camera follows closely the multiple characters and jumps from one scene to another, the audio effects could be quite surprising (for example, the transition from the cabaret scene to the hospital in the beginning of the film). Unsurprisingly, the DTS-HD Master is leaps and bounds ahead of the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. It is fuller, richer and overall a lot ore dynamic. On the other hand, the dialog is crystal clear and very easy to follow. I also did not detect any pops, cracks, or hissing to report in this review.

Paris Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The following supplemental materials are available on Paris (please keep in mind that these are all in standard-def PAL format, hence, you will not be able to access them as of this moment if you are using a region-A PS3 or SA):

Original Theatrical Trailer
Making Of
Deleted scenes with a commentary by Cedric Klapisch
Alternate scenes with a commentary by Cedric Klapisch
Discussing Paris
The decors, music, and script

Paris Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Paris continues Cedric Klapisch's fascination with multi-layered, notably complex stories. Rising French star Romain Duris is once again on board next to the always elegant and fascinating to behold Juliette Binoche. While Paris does not reach new heights, its story is very strong, with a distinctive flavor, providing a glimpse at the City of Lights in a manner rather similar to Diane Thompson's Oscar-nominated Fauteuils d'orchestre. Fans of contemporary Gallic cinema should certainly seek to add this film to their collections. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.