French Exit

The quality of the movie for a HD copy was very poor with lots of scratchy noises, freezing or jumping images. Those are only technical issues. I asked a refund because of the quality of the audio and image for such a costly HD version, but I will buy it again when a better version is available. I loved everything about this movie. Yes, Michelle Pfeiffer's is stellar, so is the supporting cast, even the cat. The plot is very simple but approached in a quirky manner. This movie is Woody Allen meets Wes Anderson. I loved that after deciding to move to Paris, they decide to go there on a cruise, from NYC. This sequence is timeless, adding to the quirkiness of the story. The dialogues and the sense of humour are delightful. I also loved the way Paris has been portrayed, not the usual idealistic view of a fantasy city. No, it's real, it's a cold over priced omelette, a borderline rude waiter, it is winter, it rains, it is grey, the trees are lifeless, there are over flowing rubbish bins everywhere, street tags, homeless people, police violence. Even the apartment is beautiful, but simple enough to be believable. And, there is Frances, you cannot help but falling in love with her. She is frank, honest, generous, straight to the point and so very funny in a dark and sarcastic way. She is a character "haut en couleur", until we learn to know her. I believe that Paris is a personification of Frances. From the outside, people have a misconception of the city, city of love, city of lights, vibrant city. However, this film shows the ugly and the normal. Paris is a normal city, not an open museum, not a fairytale city, not a fantasy, and so is Frances. It is a slow paced film, but I did not get bored for a minute, I had a smile on my face the whole time. I would happily watch it again.

Eloquent dialogue and understated performances. Quirky and endearing.

So weird, in a really satisfying way.