By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Cédric Klapisch
Starring: Audrey Tautou | Cécile de France | Kelly Reilly | Kevin Bishop | Romain Duris
Original language title: Les Poupées Russes
Country: france, united_kingdom
Year: 2006
Running time: 125
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0419294/
Bruce says: “RUSSIAN DOLLS is written by a director who loves his characters yet is not afraid to have them make plenty of mistakes as they discover how to love and be loved. Employing plenty of digital tricks in the editing room, RUSSIAN DOLLS is sharp and crisp, quite appropriate since there is a lot of story to digest.
“Romain Duris (THE BEAT THAT MY HEART SKIPPED) stars in this sequel to the 2002 L’AUBERGE ESPAGNOL, a romantic comedy about an international group of students in Barcelona. Five years later, Xavier – now a somewhat successful/somewhat struggling writer – is living back in Paris estranged from his former love Martine (Audrey Tautou) to whom he remains unhealthily attached. He sleeps on his lesbian friend Isabelle’s (Cécile de France) couch and seduces a Senegalese shop worker in the dress shop where he buys a birthday dress for Martine.
“When his editors decide that a TV treatment should be in English rather than French, Xavier enlists the help of Wendy (Kelly Reilly), another of his friends from the Barcelona days. Around the same time Xavier is assigned a magazine interview with a supermodel. He beds both women and learns more than he bargained for in the process. The film’s denouement occurs when all the friends from L’AUBERGE ESPAGNOL rendezvous in St. Petersburg for the wedding of Wendy’s brother William (Kevin Bishop).
“Romain Duris is an intense actor and one with whom the audience can empathize because he can be thoroughly likable even when he makes poor and hurtful choices on screen. Cécile de France is captivating as the overly confident, sexually active Isabelle. Audrey Tautou’s character Martine is rather insipid, giving her little wiggle room in her role. Kelly Reilly gives the perfect wistful touch to her Wendy. Kevin Bishop is a very loveable William.
“Duris, Tautou (AMELIE, THE DA VINCI CODE, A VERY LONG ENGANGEMENT) and de France (ORCHESTRA SEATS) have all become huge stars in France, and Kelly Reilly (PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, THE LIBERTINE and MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS) may be on her way to international stardom. Klapisch claims that he and the cast have enjoyed making the sequel and that they are considering a reunion in another five years. Let’s hope so. 4.5 cats
RUSSIAN DOLLS was shown as part of the Rendezvous with French Cinema Festival at Lincoln Center”