4/10
American writer and college lecturer Tom Ricks (Ethan Hawke) travels to Paris to reconcile with his estranged wife and be a part of his daughter’s life once again. Unfortunately things start badly for Tom and he finds himself in a run down hotel clutching only a dreadful French accent, his passport and a toy Giraffe. When the shady Algerian hotel owner Sezer offers him a room until he gets back on his feet and then subsequently a job, Tom sets about trying to win custody of his daughter.
Enter two women; Margit (Kristen Scott Thomas) a French/Romanian translator and seductress, educated in England and Widower to a little known Hungarian writer. And Ania (Joanna Kulig) a Polish waitress who just loves to serenade Tom to tears. Confused yet? You will be!
It becomes apparent from the opening scenes that Tom has done something rather unforgivable, quite what he has done is never explained along with a lot of other things. Who is Mr Monde? What happens in the ‘other room’? Why oh why is there a scene where he uses a translator when he shows an excellent grasp of the French language throughout the entire film!?
There are so many things that made this film disappointing but if I were pressed to name one it would have to be the relationship between Tom and Margit which doesn’t exist (ah the irony!). You would expect from the billing and trailer that this is essentially a love affair between Hawke and Scott Thomas. Well their screen time together cannot be more than 10-15 minutes throughout the entire film and it isn’t used wisely. They barely get going before she utters the words “I know you inside and out...” and “You have a voice I believe in you.”
Well sorry but I don’t believe in you!
You get the feeling that this is one of those films that makes sense to those that have read the book. Everyone else is just confused or left reaching so far up their own arse to make sense of it that they run the risk of slipping a disk at the post cinema discussion.
Very disappointing.
Released: 17th February 2012
By Jake Raynor
Twitter @ThatBoyOntTelly
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