Like the classic Eagles song ‘Peaceful Easy Feeling’ it was a light, breezy experience engaging with Alice Stolz and her story in French filmmaker Sophie Lellouche’s debut film, PARIS MANHATTAN.
Alice Taglioni plays the quirky, adorable Alice, a character reminiscent of Audrey Tatou’s Amelie, who also gave a special glow to the city of lights.
PARIS MANHATTAN starts with Alice Stolz taking over her aging father’s pharmacy. She puts her own imprint on the business. Behind the counter are shelves that she stocks with dvds. As well as providing her regular customers with the medicines that they need, Alice also issues her own prescriptions, movies that she selects from her collection.
A Woody Allen movie is often amongst her selection. She worships the Manhattan movie maestro. Hanging on the main wall in the living room of her trendy Paris apartment is a huge poster of a young Woody Allen. In her life Allen is of guru status, and she often ‘consults’ with his poster, late at night, to get his take on the latest developments in her love life.
The other obsession in Alice’s life is her bid to find Mr Right. As she plays with one of the many snow domes in her apartment, Alice ponders her future. In her early thirties, Alice is fearful of being left on the shelf. PARIS MANHATTAN follows her bumpy road to true love.
At one time, one of her suitors asks her, why does she like Woody Allen’s films so much? Easy, she says, they make me laugh.
There are some hilarious scenes in PARIS MANHATTAN. Lellouche charts Alice’s odyssey in a quirky, playful way, always looking for the humour in characters and situations. With the first appearance of Alice’s neurotic, meddling Jewish father, we know we are in vintage Allen territory.
Featuring voice-overs and even a cameo appearance by the great man himself, Sophie Lellouche has hit the bullseye with her debut film. PARIS MANHATTAN is a treat for all those who enjoy a cheerful, intelligent romantic comedy.
PARIS MANHATTAN was originally seen as part of this year’s French Film Festival.
(c) David Kary
17th March, 2012
Tags: Sydney Movie Reviews- PARIS MANHATTAN, Sophie Lellouche, Alice Taglioni, Patrick Bruel, Woody Allen, French Film Festival, Sydney Arts Guide. David Kary.