Review: ‘Paris, 13th District’ is a movie about love and sex – without much to say
The characters in “Paris, 13th District” are preoccupied with love and sex. Well, make that sex (at least at first). But what fills these 20- and 30-something Parisians with ennui is the seeming incongruity between the beauty of these concepts and the casual cruelty and speed with which young people seek them out.
Adapted by director and co-writer Jacques Audiard (“Dheepan”) from the graphic novel “Killing and Dying” by Adrian Tomine, “Paris” does an adequate job of weaving together the stories of emotionally stunted millennials, filmed in handsome black and white, who are dealing with barely acknowledged baggage and just trying to get by.
The common link between chapters of this almost-episodic film is Camille (a compelling Makita Samba), a jaded high school teacher turned doctoral candidate who moonlights as a real estate agent. Camille answers a roommate wanted ad from Émilie (Lucie Zhang), an underachieving call-center operator who mistakenly assumes Camille is a woman based on his name.
After the initial confusion, they decide to figure out what each other’s deal is – and end up in bed together. Audiard is adept in these sex scenes, showing the ways in which Camille and Émilie use the contortion of their bodies to communicate with each other. It’s certainly more effective than their words, which seem to be projecting a shallow, ironic distance, perhaps to protect themselves.
Émilie is scared that Camille is falling in love with her, while Camille firmly states that he’s more interested in a roommate with benefits. Of course, things get messy. Not long after moving in, Camille moves out because of Émilie’s petulance about their situation – which includes the fact that he’s still casually hooking up with other people.
Enter Nora, played by a charming Noémie Merlant of “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.” (“Portrait’s” director, Céline Sciamma, is one of Audiard’s writers here along with Léa Mysius.) Nora has just moved to Paris for law school. When the 33-year-old tries to ingratiate herself with younger students at a party, one of her classmates mistakes her for an online sex worker named Amber (musician and actress Jehnny Beth).
Nora’s classmates harass her until Nora drops out of school, returning to her job as a real estate agent, where she proceeds to meet – wait for it – Camille. Camille and Nora have a tryst, while Nora befriends the real Amber online, and they end up establishing their own bond. That’s a lot to take in this film.
The performers are appealing enough to make you want to keep watching – even if the characters can be a smidgen infuriating. Audiard’s direction is engaging, especially his choice to portray one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world as a place defined by stark, concrete slabs of apartments and high-rises.
But the film never quite lands on anything profound about how this generation lives. The main characters are all burdened with unresolved family trauma that comes up at unfortunate times. There’s some tut-tutting about the use of hookup apps without ever needing to make a real human connection first.
Maybe no one really has any answers. Every generation must negotiate its own sexual politics. “Paris” seems OK with that, as long as the youth of today are willing to put down their screens, get out in the world, talk to each other and love a little.