“Memories of Paris” (“Revoir Paris”): Film Review | skin 2022

memories of parisThe English title of director Alice Vinocour’s latest film does not justify the original title, nor what it seeks to achieve if an emotionally intense drama seeks to achieve it. In French, the film is called paris magazine, which translates as “seeing Paris again” and which here takes on many meanings: it describes the story of a woman who returns to the city after surviving a terrorist attack and tries to remember what happened; But it also applies to seeing a familiar place with the naked eye, changing perspectives to overcome trauma.

Vinoku highlights his film with some great shots of the streets and urban landscapes of the Parisian city, as if to remind us of his protagonist, the 40-year-old translator Mia (Virgin Efira), the beautiful woman who sees the city when you retrocede y ves this. distant. But most of all, it plunges us into the shattered and blurred vision of a woman who managed to escape a brutal attack on a downtown restaurant that left dozens of victims, a fictional event inspired by the Bataklan concert hall attack in November 2019. 2015. , which the director’s brother managed to save.

We live a terrifying incident with Mia, during the tense beginning of the film, until the moment when gunshots are heard and she turns black. When Mia returned to Paris a few months later, she got back in touch with her surgeon boyfriend, Vincent (Gregor Colin), whom she had lost before the attack. He only partially remembers what happened. The rest of the script (written by Winocour in collaboration with Marcia Romano and Jean-Stéphane Bron) shows that he is trying to organize events, a process that will help him move forward.

memories of paris It’s a mystery movie with Mia as Guy Pierce Memorable, Follow various instructions and broken memories to get to the truth. It is also a story of emotional renewal that describes the phases of recovery that follow in the footsteps of the great catastrophe, with all the ups and downs that come with it. Winocour’s behavior can be a little strange in places like when the dead come back to haunt Mia in the street or on the subway, as we’ve seen several times in Hollywood. Plus, there’s Efira to play the role of a woman who is so confused by the tram that her acting can seem too cautious in places, too restrained on purpose.

But these elements gradually build up to the perfection of the ending, which, without showing off, involves establishing an essential human connection with Mia, bringing her back to life, at least on an emotional level. Before that happens, he spends a lot of time with the other support group survivors, who regularly gather at the restaurant where the attack took place. Among the characters he meets are a teenager (Nastya Golubeva Carax, daughter of Leo Carax) who has lost her parents, and banker Thomas (Benoit Magimel) who has lost several friends and suffered a serious leg injury.

the best parts memories of paris Focus on Mia and Thomas in the strange and growing romance that takes place in hospital rooms, auxiliary meetings, and other not-very-romantic venues the City of Light has to offer. Her idea is more anti-romantic for the two people whose wounds unite them, an idea that isn’t entirely original, but benefits from Magimel’s serene, witty performance that contrasts with Mia’s self-sufficient stoicism and resilience.

In his latest work, the magician resembles Frenchman Nick Nolte: he is a spirited spirit, depressing, somewhat uncertain, and somehow still with us, happily continuing to make films. It adds a welcome dose of humor to Mia’s life and the film itself, opening everything up to a warmer horizon. The scene where they both break into the wedding and Thomas begins dancing on crutches says more about the characters’ humor than anything else that underscores the existential absurdity of saving the massacre that claimed so many lives.

excellent previous Winokur movie, Next, addressed the astronaut’s desire to enter orbit and the family ties established on Earth. By design, the heroine of this film was a much more active character than Mia, who is blinded by an event that often leaves her speechless, staring into the void of her own hazy memories. This can create a drama that doesn’t really come to an end, but a drama that provides spiritual insight into learning to live with trauma. After everything Mia has been through, the solution basically comes to mind: you are not alone.