Paris 36

Christophe Barratier is an old school moviemaker unafraid of incorporating nostalgia and sentiment in his films. Paris 36 offers up heaping helpings of both. Set in a fairy-tale neighborhood of the French capital during the depths of the Great Depression (after the electoral victory of the left-leaning Popular Front), the story revolves around Pigoil (Gérard Jugnot), the longtime stage manager of Chansonia, a local music hall recently closed by a powerful ward boss. To make matters worse, Pigoil has not only lost his job but also custody of his darling son, a young street accordionist. Pigoil is roused from his funk by an opportunity to reopen the venue in partnership with a leftist political agitator friend who fancies himself a star impressionist, but the project is a bust…until the arrival of Douce (Nora Arnezeder), a young lady from the sticks who turns out to be an amazing chanteuse. Douce's success leads to a host of other offers, but a revelation about her parents—as well as a budding romance with the leftist—convinces her to stay. Barratier juggles numerous plot threads and styles here—showbiz tale, schmaltzy father-son story, romantic triangle, even crime melodrama involving thievery and standoffs with revolvers—against a quasi-revolutionary background, replete with conflicts between workers, employer-hired thugs, and a crypto-fascist political party. Lavishly filmed, Paris 36 sometimes feels like an extravagant French dinner, but even if the end result feels overstuffed, the individual courses are often very satisfying. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary with writer-director Christophe Barratier and costar Nora Arnezeder, cast interviews (31 min.), a “Nora Arnezeder: The Young Revelation's Beautiful Adventure” featurette on the actress (11 min.), a location featurette (25 min.), deleted scenes (23 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an interesting film.] (F. Swietek)