‘Paris, 13th District’ reviews hail ‘intimate examination of obstacles that keep young urbanites from connecting’
“Paris, 13th District” is the latest picture from acclaimed director Jacques Audiard, known for such award-winning films as “A Prophet” and “Rust and Bone.” In his latest, Audiard teams up with “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” writer Céline Sciamma and fellow French screenwriter Léa Mysius to tell the story of four young lovers in the electrifying, multicultural 13th arrondissement of Paris. The film opens in select theaters and on demand on April 15.
Adapted from Adrian Tomine’s acclaimed graphic novel, “Paris, 13th District” weaves a breezy tapestry of modern love stories. Lucie Zhang delivers a breakout performance as free-spirited Émilie, who begins a casual relationship with new roommate Camille (Makita Samba). Noémie Merlant (‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’) plays wide-eyed student Nora, whose new life in Paris is complicated when she is accidentally mistaken for cam girl Amber Sweet (Jehnny Beth).
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The IFC Films release has received stellar reviews from critics. Over at Rotten Tomatoes, “Paris, 13th District” holds an impressive 80% freshness rating based on 51 independent reviews. Mark Keizer from “AV Club” writes, “A candid, intimate and authentic examination of the obstacles that keep young urbanites from connecting.” The praise for this sexy, black-and-white modern love story continues.
Anthony Lane (New Yorker): “The movie has pace and lustre to spare, and the actors are richly invested in their characters, not hesitating to make them crabby and selfish, when need be, as well as sympathetic.”
Neely Swanson (Easy Reader): “Audiard has the extraordinary ability to create characters who grow exponentially as the story unwraps and envelopes them.”
Christopher Lloyd (The Film Yap): “A layered, lovely look at a French threesome (+1) of young people navigating the gray areas between sex and love.”
Mick LaSalle (San Francisco Chronicle): “At any given time, a different character will seem to be the movie’s focus. But as long as we recognize that love’s transformational power is the real subject, there can be no mystery about the movie’s intentions or how it’s unfolding.”
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