Review: Where the Sun Rises in Paris
This article was originally published in German. The English version is an automatic translation and may contain errors. The German original is authoritative.
"Where the Sun Rises in Paris" (Les Olympiades) is the latest film by Jacques Audiard. "Les Olympiades" had its premiere at the 2021 Cannes International Film Festival. From 7 April, the French film was released in German cinemas. The main cast of the romance are Makita Samba, Noémie Merlant and Lucie Zhang. The film shows how the life paths of Emilie, Camille and Nora intersect in the 13th arrondissement in Paris. Emilie moves from job to job, whilst Camille starts work as a young teacher at a school. Nora resumes her law studies and hits the books, whereas Louise works as a cam girl. Love, desire and pain connect each life story with one another. The eternal bachelor Camille becomes Emilie's new flatmate and lover, though not for very long. Nora's academic career is equally short-lived after fellow students at a party think they recognise the cam girl Amber Sweet in her. Whereupon she sets out in search of her doppelgänger. Both Camille and Nora must reconsider their ideas about love and relationships.
In my opinion, Audiard has created a captivating film that is difficult to pigeonhole into a single category. It is too serious and harsh to be called a romance, yet too optimistic for a drama. Some have described the film as a comedy. Whilst I wouldn't go that far, I was surprised in places by how naturally and effortlessly the film managed to get a laugh or two from the cinema audience. At 106 minutes, the film is short without the story feeling rushed. On the contrary, the film takes its time and tells its comparatively brief story calmly. The cinematography complements this, which is consistently solid and creates magnificent images, particularly through its black-and-white aesthetic. However, some may struggle with the colourless image at the beginning – that's probably a matter of taste. The fitting soundtrack remains positively memorable. Equally, one must praise the actors, who play their roles convincingly; for me, especially Lucie Zhang. At this point, the diversity of the cast should be emphasised, which perfectly reflects the internationality of the French capital. Nevertheless, I felt at times that authenticity was lacking; the dialogue was too clever and slick. I found it difficult to translate the well-written dialogue into reality. If one can accept that different rules apply in films, one will have a lot of fun with the dialogue.
All in all, I can recommend the film to anyone who wants to watch a sensual, entertaining film that prompts reflection without overwhelming the viewer. The film is showing at the Central in the Bürgerbräu.