“From the first moment of that spectacular aerial shot of Paris from the heights of the Eiffel Tower, we become totally immersed. Immersed in Paris and its stories of life, love, dreams and death. Cédric Klapisch's (While the Cat’s Away, L’Auberge Espagnol) film is an Ode to the City Of Love, as it reveals the stories of those who live there. Central to the story is Romain Duris' pensive protagonist Pierre, whose mortality is threatened; his raison d'être is to watch people from his top floor window wondering about their lives. The emotional landscape is as vast as the 360 degree vista; we are involved, intrigued and curious. The filmmaker uses him solely as a springboard from which we can delve into others' lives. Closest at hand is Pierre's caring sister Élise (Juliette Binoche) who admits to have had no luck with men and precipitates the film's best line. Binoche makes Élise so real we can almost hear her heartbeat… There are other characters that interest us no less, but they get less screen time. Klapisch weaves a fascinating web with this diverse collection of characters, some of whom discover what they want only after being exposed to what they do not want. I wanted to jump on the next plane to Paris; but if travel is not an option, Klapisch's film is a rich and satisfying indulgence.”—Louise Keller, Urban Cinephile.

Sponsored by the Franco American Heritage Society, Lisa Marrache and Pearley & Alice Lachance in memory of Patricia Gauer, Franco American activist

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