VIFF 2021 REVIEW | "Paris, 13th District" (Les Olympiades); Jacques Audiard French Braids Intimate Stories With Great Dramatic Effect
10/12 ForReel Score | 4/5 Stars
Jacques Audiard is well known for his critically acclaimed and Cannes featured films A Self-Made Hero, A Prophet, and Dheepan. Mainstream North American audiences though might be better familiar with his recent western film The Sisters Brothers, a VIFF 2018 official selection featuring an all-star ensemble that includes John C Reilly, Joaquin Phoenix, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Riz Ahmed.
Paris, 13th District (Les Olympiades) sees Audiard return to more artistic storytelling in this adaptation of short comic stories Amber Sweet, Hawaiian Getaway, Summer Blonde and Killing and Dying. Artistic in large part because of indisputably gorgeously composed black and white frame work from cinematographer Paul Guilhaume that captures the lives of Émilie (Lucie Zhang), Camille (Makita Samba), and Nora (Noémie Merlant, Jumbo, Portrait of a Lady on Fire). It’s an incredible display of visual prowess, and there is much to admire about the journey these characters take with, and because of, each other.
Featuring the writing talents of Audriard himself, Léa Mysius, and Céline Sciamma (writer and director of the VIFF 2019 official selection Portrait of a Lady On Fire and this year’s official selection Petite Maman), Paris, 13th District floats between the intertwining lives of Émilie, Camille, and Nora as they all manage complicated personal backgrounds and personal relationships. The film begins with Émilie, a telephone operator looking for a roommate when she soon meets Camille, a schoolteacher who has put his career on hold. The two engage in a contentious, yet often endearing and sarcastic, love/hate relationship as Émilie wrestles with her attachment to Camille, and Camille does his best to remain connected yet uncommitted.
But their internal conflicts go deeper than just their feelings for each other - Émilie is dealing with mounting pressure from her family in regards to the lack of attention she pays to her ailing grandmother, and Camille struggles to process the death of his mother. Then, there is Nora - another eventual love interest of Camille’s who has her own insecurities and history of trauma.
They are strong characters with their own points of weakness, which ultimately is what makes Paris, 13th District so enticing. The human component drives the turbulence of their stories, making these characters relatable and easy to empathize with, especially with how these stories dance around each other.
It doesn’t take knowledge of the source material to feel the anthological nature of this film - as Émilie and Camille’s relationship falls apart for the first time, Émilie’s statement “you’ll miss me” and a slow fade to black represents a clear partition between their story and the beginning of Nora’s. But as the film goes on, with crossed paths and interwoven engagements with each other, I found myself wishing these stories had been more independent.
Interestingly enough, it is the supporting character Amber Sweet - a camgirl played by Jehnny Beth who is befriended by Nora - who brings it all together, effectively triggering a ripple effect that moves through the lives of the other three individuals one event at a time. The character development that ensues in Émilie, Camille, Nora, and Amber is a marvel to behold, and regardless of narrative cohesiveness, there is plenty to appreciate about the introspection that comes from their engagement with each other.
For this reason, in addition to the visual appeal and a surprisingly complimentary new wave electronic score, Paris, 13th District is a stunning piece of filmmaking from Jacques Audiard. There’s drama. There’s romance. There’s sex. There’s heartbreak. There’s an emotional journey through life, love, and personal struggles with an admirable approach to telling these characters’ stories, and with the deeply human approach to the depiction of these characters at the forefront of this film’s storytelling, Paris, 13th District will likely be at the forefront of your mind long after the credits roll.
Acting and Casting - 2 | Visual Effects and Editing - 2 | Story and Message - 2 | Entertainment Value - 1 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 2 | Reviewer's Preference - 1 | What does this mean?