Russian Dolls written and directed by Cedric Klapisch, 10 out of 10

Russian Dolls written and directed by Cedric Klapisch

10 out of 10

-          Russian Dolls is a phenomenal film

-          The two stars, Romain Duris and Kelly Reilly are formidable

-          Xavier Rousseau is the epitome of the happy, blissful individual

-          At least from where I see him

-          In the first part of this narrative, L’Auberge Espagnole, the public had a wondrous time

-          Xavier shared an apartment with a group of men and women than have become friends

-          After fighting each other for some time and in different arrangements

-          Wendy aka the exceptional, seductive, charming, sexy Kelly Reilly, was one of the friends in Barcelona

-          She is now one of the two heroes of this second act

-          Xavier has tried to enter various relationships but it has not worked

-          He is a bachelor now

-          Martine played by the delicate Audrey Tatou is still part of Xavier’s life, but they are not lovers anymore

-          Well, there is one night when Martine has her son with his estranged father and she wants to and spends the night with her former boyfriend.

-          They do not “baise” but it is still a difficult, awkward scene the next morning, when the “copine” that Xavier is seeing arrives at the door just as…Martine is leaving and there is a breakup

-          As a writer, Xavier faces an uphill struggle

-          He is selling scenarios for what look like Telenovelas or soap operas with silly plots most of the time

-          He would like to concentrate on a book and more generally on serious writing, but that does not pay…

-          Well, unless you call Dan Brown a serious author

-          Which he surely is…in financial terms

-          At one point, he has to chance to work with Wendy, in London

-          As he arrives, the splendid woman is just separating from her lover, who appears rather brutish and uncouth.

-          Xavier and Wendy have a lot of fun working and at times partying together until the magical moment…

-          Which is delayed in a perfect manner, with a teasing thrown in before that, when Wendy caresses Xavier under his shirt, trying to figure out a continuation in the script they are writing together

-          Anyway, the scene when they kiss and start a relationship arrives and it is mesmerizing and so damn gorgeous.

-          The two actors are more than gifted, they also have what the late Steve Jobs was supposed to have possessed:

-          A Reality Distortion Field

-          But there is a challenge and Days of Wine and Roses are not there to stay, for Xavier is tempted

-          He gets to work as a ghost writer for a celebrity, who, if not in the same style as Paris Hilton, still takes things too lightly

-          Xavier has an affair with the super model or Reality Show star or whatever this girl was and he makes a more serious mistake

-          The friends all, or almost all, go to Russia where Wendy’s brother is getting married to a Russian ballerina

-          Xavier and Wendy are not just a couple now, but very near Romeo and Juliet, with the advantage that they are not fourteen years old

-          This should be Bliss

-          Optimal Experience, Flow

-          But Xavier gets a call from his celebrity who is bored in Moscow and therefore wants to have fun with her writer

-          And he goes there, even after the emotional scene at the train station where Wendy says that he is perfect…with all his shortcomings

-          To add insult to injury, the tabloid star takes her guy to a discotheque and meets other celebrities…and she abandons poor Xavier.

-          He deserves it.

-          Will he get back together with his other half, the perfect woman, who has found about his betrayal and sent him packing?

-          Who knows?