Release Date: 23 March 2006

Synopsis :

A Sequel to the popular comedy "The Spanish Apartment"

Five years after their summer together in Barcelona, Xavier (Romain Duris), William (Kevin Bishop), Wendy (Kelly Reilly), Martine (Audrey Tautou) and Isabelle (Cecile de France) reunite for a wedding in St Petersburg, their carefree days behind them, and now close to thirty. Xavier is a struggling writer who dreams of having the perfect career and the perfect woman. He is still in touch with his ex-girlfriend Martine, but is living with Isabelle , now a successful gay stockbroker. When he has to find a British writer to work with him, he goes to live and work with
Wendy in London. Dividing his time between London and Paris, where he is ghostwriting the memoirs of a sexy and spoilt 24 year old supermodel, Celia (Lucy Gordon), Xavier struggles with his attraction to both women, slowly realizing he must grow up.

Movie Review:

Following the critically acclaimed “The Spanish Apartment” (2002), director Cedric Klapisch has followed up this masterpiece with a film that adds a touch of nostalgia and poignancy. Keeping most of the cast intact, the only drawback for this film is simply the fact that it’s been produced few years after its predecessor. Nevertheless, few audiences who caught “The Spanish Apartment” will forget such strong memorable character as Xavier (Romain Duris) the fickle-minded bloke whose inability to focus in life creates a mess of chaotic proportion, his ex-girlfriend Martine (Audrey Tautou), his close lesbian friend Isabelle (Cecile De France), his good pal Wendy (played by Kelly Reilly which can be seen in the recently screened “Mrs Henderson Present” (2005)) and his cross-cultural buddy William (Kevin Bishop).

Shot on location in Paris, London and Moscow, the reason this film shines is more than its exotic factor. It acts as a beautiful metaphor to depict Xavier’s journey through life in his thirties. This is further reinforced by the mosaic opening credits. It is akin to a jigsaw puzzle, the pieces of which are Xavier’s life that he is trying his best to put together. In fact, this says the same for all the characters in this film and it’s this search for order in the midst of mayhem that proves to be this film’s greatest achievement. This film relates to most of us who have been searching for that ideal job or that perfect girl. For those of us who have been in such situation, it’s almost impossible to ignore the various emotions and upheavals portrayed in the film. From the joy of meeting old friends to the heart-wrenching sadness that tugs painfully at one’s heart in a break-up, this film has it all.

In this segment, the cruel passage of time has propelled Xavier and his friends from tertiary students into mature adults. More importantly, Xavier has suddenly found himself asking life-changing questions, such as the job that he really wants to work in and the girl that he really wish to settle down. As is universally known that these are not easy questions to answer, the audience is given a ride through the film to explore the various options that Xavier have, which includes the alternatives to his existing job as a writer as well as choosing his ideal mate among his close friends. And as this film illustrates, some decisions are hard to make, especially if your ideal choice and perfection are mutually exclusive.

Jam-packed with MTV-esque soundtrack and hilarious shots of Xavier’s wildest imagination (one of which bears a close resemblance of an Ally McBeal-like emulation of the dancing baby), this film is a delight to watch. Ironic as it may seems, “Russian Doll” is a comedy that hinges on tragedies, a film that will tear one’s heart out at times and yet one can’t help smiling understandingly at the emotional conflicts that the characters go through in the film. Slow pacing is its only Achilles heel.

As the title “Russian Dolls” (a toy that consists of a wooden figure which can be pulled apart to reveal another figure of the same sort inside. It has in turn another figure inside, and so on almost in a fractal manner save that the repetition is regular) suggests, this is a film whereby just when you thought you had it all figured out and have made the right choices, you discover something that is tantalizingly new.

However, a decision will have to be made, which Xavier did at the end of the film.

As to whom his ideal girl is, that’s for you to find out.

Movie Rating:

(A film that lights up the whole spectrum of human emotions. A delightful watch!)

Review by Patrick Tay