Somewhere, between the heady romantic drama of Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise trilogy and the good-natured bawdiness of the American Pie franchise, sit the films of Cédric Klapisch. Released in 2002, Spanish Apartment first introduced us to Xavier Rousseau (Romain Duris), a French university student on exchange in Barcelona. Four years later, Russian Dolls picked up with Xavier again, as he continued to search for love and direction in an increasingly complicated world.
Chinese Puzzle turns the series into a trilogy, although Klapisch ensures the story is more or less accessible to newcomers. Now an author at the tail-end of his 30s, Xavier is marginally more mature than the last time we saw him, although no more lucky in the romance department. As a matter of fact, the film begins just in time for us to witness his marriage, to Englishwoman Wendy (Kelly Reilly), fall apart. When she takes their kids to live in Manhattan, Xavier decides to cross the Atlantic as well, crashing with his old friend Isabelle (Cécile de France) and her new girlfriend, Ju (Sandrine Holt), until he can find accommodation of his own.
As with the previous films, Klapisch keeps the tone buoyant, livening Xavier’s voiceover musings — on life, love, family, ageing and the cultural stewpot in which all of us are ingredients — with plenty of visual whimsy.
Read our full review of Chinese Puzzle here. Chinese Puzzle is in cinemas on Thursday, April 17, and thanks to Transmission Films, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven’t already), then email us with your name and address.
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Australian Competitions Club
