Russian
Dolls (2005/Weinstein DVD)
Picture:
B- Sound: B- Extras: C- Film: C
Romain
Duris, Cecile De France, Kelly Reilly, Kevin Bishop and Audrey Tautou
(Amelie, The DaVinci Code) reprise their roles from the
mixed-but-successful L'Auberge Espagnole (2002, aka Spanish
Apartment or Spanish Inn; see link below) for the sequel
Russian Dolls. Xavier (Duris) wants to be a novelist, but is
stuck with the prospect of writing for TV soap operas, which is good
because his life is about to become like one. That does not
necessarily bode well for the audience, but those who somehow loved
the original will at least be amused, though how many wacky
relationships can we believe before it becomes tiresome?
Of
course, when Audrey shows up, people are suddenly filled with joy,
the image becomes artsy and we start seeing all kinds of split
screen. The film decides not to go for broke this time on her
perceived cuteness and she is a bit older now. As a matter of fact,
the film tries to show growth, but that never totally pans out.
Writer/director Cedric Klapisch understandably wanted to revisit the
success, but is five years later too soon? Is this a missed
opportunity?
Maybe,
because this could have far exceeded the first, but despite all the
open spaces, it still feels as confined and more so. The actors give
it their best, but it just feels like an unnecessary revisiting and
unless you were wild about the first one, skip it.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is shot on video and either
higher-fidelity video or film. Detail can be an issue, but color
saves this transfer. Dominique Colin is once again the
cinematographer and this is an improvement over the first feature. I
liked the location shooting and fascination with moving vehicles, a
move to distinguish itself from its predecessor. The lossy Dolby
Digital 5.1 is also not bad, with sound and fidelity on par with the
first film and is slightly clearer. Extras include previews for
other Genius/Weinstein releases and a short making of piece.
You
can see our coverage for the previous film on DVD here...
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/599/L'Auberge+Espagnole+(Spanish+Apartment)
...and
the follow-up third film, Chinese Puzzle, here:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/13116/Billy+Crystal:+700+Sundays+(2014/HBO+DVD)/C
-
Nicholas Sheffo
