CHINESE PUZZLE

France, 2013, 117 minutes, Colour.
Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, Cecile de France, Kelly Reilly.
Directed by Cedric Klapisch.

We might well ask why a French film, mainly set in New York, has a title such as Chinese Puzzle! Actually, the director, Cedric Klapisch, has made a trilogy with such unusual the names. The first was L’ Auberge Espagnole, which translated Pot Luck or Euro Pudding. The second was Russian Dolls, using the English phrase for the title. So, audiences alerted, we wonder what these tales could be.

They are the titles of three films with a central set of characters. At first, in L’ Auberge Espagnole, they were a set of students living together in a Spanish apartment, with all the issues of their age, relationships, hopes for the future… In Russian Dolls, they were getting older, moving into career situations, continuing with their relationship issues. Now, they are around the 40 mark and experiencing problems that make them re-assess their lives.

One of the major surprises of the film is the New York setting. What is a very French director doing when his central characters opt to live in New York rather than in France? A French concession to the United States? The director has indicated that now we have a generation which is more mobile, and is not afraid of mixing with different cultures, live in different countries, deal with international challenges. But French characters actually opting for life in the US?

Once again, the central character, Xavier, played by Romain Duris, is beset by problems. He has become a successful writer and is continually hounded by his agent in Paris. He has been married for 10 years to Wendy (Kelly Reilly from the previous films) and has two children. When he moves to New York, so does she – though they are separated and she has taken up with an American. His questions include asking his children whether they want to live in the United States, issues of completing his novel, even his search for an apartment for himself.

The other central character from the past, Martine (Audrey Tautou), also makes contact. She and her son come to America for a holiday, making all kinds of complications for Xavier and his friend, Isabelle (Cecile de France), also from the previous films, who is in a lesbian relationship, and an affair, and allows Xavier to have her apartment as a base. And it becomes more complicated as Xavier has decided that he wants to get a green card in order to work with in the US. Fortunately, he has helped a Chinese taxidriver when he was assaulted and the family is extremely grateful, one of the daughters agreeing to stand in as his wife for the card. This also involves some complications with the apartment and the Inspector who wants to see whether the marriage is genuine.

On the whole, this is a frothy French comedy – allowing for its love for the United States and New York City – and will entertain fans of the other films, wanting to see what happens in the lives of these characters.

1. This film as the third in a series? The director’s perspective? The core cast in each film? The changes over time?


2. The memories of the past, experiences, drawing on them, developing them? Successes and failures?

3. The locations, France, Paris, the United States, New York City? Editing? The musical score?

4. The credits, New York, the family, the slow motion?

5. Xavier, as a writer, his 10 years marriage, his voice-over, his failures? The editor and the novels? For publication? Their Skype talks? The family, the photo, the 10 years, the happiness, breaking with Wendy, still loving his children? His mother upset? warning him not to be like his father? Love, failure, change, shame, sharing the children, the summer vacation, the son not wanting to go to New York?

6. Long friendship with Isabelle, the device of the cut-out characters, the backgrounds drawn? Her partner, going to New York, the issue of the baby? Asking Xavier for the semen? His going to the clinic, the pornography, the slow ejaculation? The visualising of the nurse and her come on, with Isabelle, his success? Isabelle’s gratitude?

7. The editor, advice, the quotes, shame being good?

8. The device of the visit of Schopenhauer, his 19th-century close clothes? His advice on turning the side of the embroidery? Xavier: ‘no hope, no belief, call in German philosophers’? The publishing of the two novels? The launch? His being late, the neighbour intruding? The latest later visit of Hegel and his advice? Hegel’s books? ‘All nothingness is the nothingness of something!’.

9. The decision to go to New York City, the landscapes, Isabelle and Ju, his sharing their apartment? Isabelle pregnant? His travelling around New York on
the streets, the subway, the visit to John, Wendy out, John and his difficulty with accents, Xavier’s observation about accents and failure? Not being understood and humiliated? His imagining himself in costume and speaking ye oldie English (in subtitles)? The relationship between John and Wendy, the issue of his son’s uniform to school and his anger, her expensive lawyer and the visits, his going to the cheaper lawyer?

10. The phone call from Martine, the Skype, her son, Lucas, their coming to New York?

11. The computer search for apartments, the collage of the various tryouts, the landlady, the proper Jewish couple? Ju and her apartment, in Chinatown, the landlady, his gratitude? The children in McDonald’s? Saturday as Father’s Day – and his meeting Ray, the discussions, their children playing, Ray and his getting Xavier the job? Warrior fathers? The boss, the objections, all being migrants? The bicycle messages? The observations about the sky, New Yorkers seeing sky? New arrivals moving from downtown to uptown?

12. Getting lost with the taxi driver, the driver’s confrontation with the truck, his being bashed, Xavier helping? Going to hospital?

13. The cheaper lawyer, the money advice, with the job, suggesting the marriage? Going to visit the taxi driver in hospital, the family’s gratitude, Nancy being willing to marry him for the green card?

14. Martine New York, her job, with organic tea, her asking Xavier to go with her as an assistant, her business ideas? Saying she was never in sync? His amazement at her speaking Chinese, dealing only with the Chinese? Her great success? going back to Xavier’s apartment, in the same bed, the sexual encounter and its effect?

15. The lawyer, the divorce proceedings, the discussions? Wendy apologising?

16. Nancy, the wedding, three days to prepare the story, the immigration official, the interview, testing them, the aftermath?

17. Xavier and his father, coming to New York, the memories of poor parenting, trying to find the initials of his mother and father, with the heart? The father not finding them? Xavier finding, realising that he was born in love, satisfied?

18. The baby, Isabelle and the babysitter, the bar, the drinking, late home, Isabelle and the attraction, kissing the babysitter, the affair?

19. Martine, coming to the apartment with the children? The awkwardness about apartments, his not telling the truth, the arrival of the official, the issue about the marriage, Isabelle and the partner having sex, out on the roof, returning? Ju and the landlady? Martine and her being described as the Nanny?

20. Xavier, the three women, saying that he needed a combination of all three?

21. The finale, the children wanting to stay in New York, asking Martine to stay, his running to the bus, her accepting?

22. The happy ending – the editor not wanting a happy ending Xavier saying that this is what happens in real life?