Chinese Puzzle

This third part of the series started with "The Spanish Apartment" and "Russian Dolls" continues following the life of Xavier and his complications. The cast is the well known and very good from previous parts with the good additions of the children, which perform really well. This part, although shows again the chaotic life of Xavier, feels, somehow more coherent and luminous, as if the pieces would be finally fitting. Maybe the best way of summarizing the series and the conclusion is with the conversation that Xavier and Martine have by the end of the film in which Martine tell Xavier how she cannot get how Xavier feels his life to be that complicated. For her, it is just life as it is. Anyway, a movie to pass a good time, with the spicy addition of the mixed languages and (western) cultures which have always made this series something special, although it is clearly addressed to the 70's - early 80's born western generation with a comfortable economic position.

"Xavier" (Roman Duris) is maybe not the most reliable of husbands, but I did feel a little sorry for him when wife "Wendy" (Kelly Reilly) decides that she wishes to relocate to the United States, and to take their two children with her. Bluntly, she doesn't really care whether he likes it or not. She's met a new man "John" (Peter Hermann) and is going regardless. Surprisingly for him, this really focusses his priories as he realises that he doesn't want to live without them, so he follows suit. He ends up living in New York's Chinatown where he has to try and sort out a job, accommodation and a lawyer for his impending divorce. What now ensues sees this well meaning but hapless fellow leap from the frying pan to the fire on countless occasions. He even manages to get himself embroiled in a marriage of convenience for a couple of lesbians, is on the wrong visa and a reuniting with "Martine" (Audrey Tautou) is only going to further complicate this already messy scenario. Duris is good with these sorts of roles. The lightly comedic, slightly daft character who is usually always reacting to a shambles of his own making, lurching from one mistake to another whilst genuinely trying to be decent and helpful. There's a fun scene in the sperm donating room - you can just use your imagination for that! Tautou always reminds me of Audrey Helpburn - and here, though she doesn't feature so prominently, she owns her scenes - especially those she delivers in Mandarin. There's also an enjoyable dynamic coming from Sandrine Holt ("Ju") and "Isabelle" (Cécile de France) as they all try to stay one step ahead of the savvy immigration inspector (Peter McRobbie) and the thing builds to a denouement that might also have worked well for Peter Sellers. We could possibly condense the first fifteen minutes a little, but otherwise this is an entertaining middle-age crisis romp that I quite enjoyed.

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Andres Gomez

CinemaSerf