Alice Winocour films the mental reconstruction of a woman (Virginie Efira), who relearns to live in the capital.
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The title of Alice Winocour’s fourth feature film is in itself a deeply human and cinematographic program. First of all because nothing allows us to think, through these two words, that the film relates to a terrorist attack, of the type of the 2015 attack in the capital – the filmmaker’s brother was in Bataclan, evening November 13, and her experience inspired the director. Far beyond that, to review Paris tells us that after the murderous assault, the census of the victims, the care of the survivors, opens another chapter, of a psychological order, where the reconstruction involves reconnection with the Others.
Selected in Cannes in May, at the Directors’ Fortnight, this sensitive drama takes another look at a terrible news, while Monday September 5 opened the trial of the July 14, 2016 attack in Nice – Two months ago, the trial of the attacks of November 13, 2015 was completed.
Mia (Virginie Efira) is a translator of Russian. She travels Paris on a motorcycle and intervenes in conferences, at Radio France, etc. She seems to live a beautiful story with Vincent (Grégoire Colin), head of a hospital. One evening, while they are both dinner in the restaurant, he receives a call and explains that he must return to work. Mia goes back on her triumph, then, surprised by a pouring rain, poses in a brewery. Besides her, a man (Benoît Magimel) celebrates his birthday with colleagues. The cake arrives, but it is not very “candle” and lingers for a moment on Mia. Then comes the sound of machine guns … Then the black hole.
During the attack, which lasts barely a few minutes, the camera is discreet, almost reducing a low -light lamp, barely lighting the bodies, trembling, hidden or already dead. After this traumatic moment, comes the day after, and reviewing Paris changes in a mental, geographic and sociological journey at the heart of the capital. It is the most beautiful idea of the film to be based on the “postcard” (fireplace and zinc roofs …) to better deconstruct it through the eyes of the heroine.
Hitchcockian atmosphere
In jeans and leather jacket, Virginie Efira carries the film with her gaze, often in the fog, which sudden reminiscences come to illuminate. A Hitchcockian atmosphere, although ideas by meetings, Benoît Magimel bringing humor and a certain relaxation to the story. Fiction draws in reality to weave the story, filled with characters (a waitress, a young girl who has lost her parents …).
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