Paris, written and directed by Cédric Klapisch
9 out of 10
Notes and
thoughts on other books are available at:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E and http://realini.blogspot.ro/
Paris is
one of my favorite films.
If not in
the top 100, in the best 1,000 anyway.
The cast
includes two of the best actors- Fabrice Luchini and Romain Duris- and a
discovery, a young brilliant actress:
-
Mélanie Laurent in the role of
Laetitia
The
narrative is actually a fresco with a few stories that intertwine, involving
various professions and personalities.
Pierre –
played by the mesmerizing Romain Duris- is a professional dancer that learns
early on about his heart condition.
Juliette
Binoche- yet another outstanding artist- is Elise, the sister that is concerned
by the rate of success- only 40%.
Even if
attractive and noticed by strangers on the street, Elise has no husband and she
raises alone her three children.
She moves
in with her brother to take care of him, even if he says to a nephew that he
has few chances:
-
Pierre: [discussing his nieces and
nephew] We've gotta be honest and say I'm gonna croak.
-
Élise: That's not certain.
-
Pierre: Then it'll be a nice
surprise, if it's not true.
The other
character that interested me a lot is Roland Verneuil, portrayed by the
majestic Fabrice Luchini.
He is an
expert historian, professor at the university and invited to appear on a show
on television, offer that he rejects.
At least
initially, he says that this is “vulgarization” and the young man who is making
the proposal understands him.
The funny
moment comes when “just for curiosity” the professor wants to know how much
money would be involved.
The sum is
north of five thousand euros plus percentages and it appears this is
determining the historian to say yes.
He falls in
love with a young student- Laetitia, superbly created by Mélanie Laurent- and
starts texting her.
Trying to
avoid ridicule and disclosing his identity, the messages are modern and written
with the now common abbreviations.
-
“suis a la fac avec toi t es bel j te kif tro grav”
If not
hilarious for all viewers, this is really funny and fresh…try to imagine a
conservative, pillar of establishment coming up with that.
A professor
of history, valuing tradition, classic values is brought to use the most modern
communication by…love.
There is a
confrontation, for he keeps sending these “textos” – trying to figure out, I
found on the net a site…
Presumably,
one can enter the text and find out in “normal language” what the sender means
with letters and strange “mots”.
Laetitia
feels harassed for a while and on other longitudes she would have probably
called the authorities.
But she
finds out who the secret admirer is, with the simple method of sending back a
message and hearing the phone ring.
She is
somewhat angry and accuses the teacher of playing with a student in a perverted
manner, but the older man has explanations.
-
Why do you smile?
-
You say I am smiling, but it is not
a game
-
What is it then
-
You can see it is “gêne”
It was more
than surprising to see the two of them in the next scene which is taking place
after they have had sex.
Maybe this
is a French, more liberal view on such aspects of life, but it anyway
transforms the professor in a positive way.
After all,
the ultimate expert on Positivity, author of the classic with that name,
Barbara Fredrickson has identified 10 elements of positivity:
-
Gratitude, amusement, interest, awe,
hope, pride, inspiration, serenity, joy and towering over all: Love
The loving
Roland Verneuil is evidently experiencing FLOW- yet another classic of Positive
Psychology, written by the outstanding Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
The peak
experience, phenomenon also called “being in the zone” is evident when the
professor is…dancing with energy and zest.
To continue
in the same line of psychology research and studies on these states of mind
that seem to be experienced by Roland Verneuil, I would refer to another
professor, Ellen Langer from Harvard, who proved that we can become younger.
And the
historian proves she is right, at least for as long as his strong feelings seem
to be encouraged by his loved one.
The Charles
Baudelaire poem that he texts her is sublime and is somehow in sync with this
great, beautiful film:
-
“Ces robes folles sont l'emblème
-
De ton esprit bariolé ;
-
Folle dont je suis affolé,
-
Je te hais autant que je t’aime!
-
-
Quelquefois dans un beau jardin
-
Où je traînais mon atonie,
-
J'ai senti, comme une ironie,
-
Le soleil déchirer mon sein ;
-
-
Et le printemps et la verdure
-
Ont tant humilié mon coeur,
-
Que j'ai puni sur une fleur
-
L'insolence de la Nature.
-
-
Ainsi je voudrais, une nuit,
-
Quand l'heure des voluptés sonne,
-
Vers les trésors de ta personne,
-
Comme un lâche, ramper sans bruit,
-
-
Pour châtier ta chair joyeuse,
-
Pour meurtrir ton sein pardonné,
-
Et faire à ton flanc étonné
-
Une blessure large et creuse,
-
-
Et, vertigineuse douceur !
-
A travers ces lèvres nouvelles,
-
Plus éclatantes et plus belles,
-
T'infuser mon venin, ma soeur !”
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