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Lés Poupees Russes|Russian Dolls

A recognizable and affecting story

By A.S. HAMRAH | July 21, 2006

2.5 Stars

In Cédric Klapisch’s follow-up to his 2002 crowd pleaser L’aubergeespagnole, Romain Duris returns as struggling writer Xavier, a 30-year-old flubbing a series of relationships with a revolving cast of international hotties that includes the ubiquitous Audrey Tautou. The second in what promises to be a series strives for the wistfulness of François Truffaut’s Antoine Doinel cycle. But since this is for the iPod generation, Duris isn’t brooding and surprising the way the Paris-centric Jean-Pierre Léaud was in the Truffaut films. His hyper performance is diffused over several countries, all the better to reflect modern life, which it does with the wary smile of a Nerve personal. Les poupées russes is more like a Beach Party movie, propounding Tautou as the French Annette Funicello of the 21st century. Xavier's story is recognizable and affecting, but the film overstays its welcome by the length of an episode of Friends.

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Topics: Reviews , Audrey Tautou, Antoine Doinel, Francois Truffaut, More

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Watch the trailer for Lés Poupees Russes|Russian Dolls (QuickTime)

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