Russian Dolls
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Movie Reviews of Russian Dolls
Movie Review: (2.5 STARS) Xavier, 30 Years-old, Still Searching for True Love: Some Magical Moments, But Overlong and Whimsical
Summary: 3 Stars
Cédric Klapisch reassembled most of the cast of `L'Auberge espagnole' (`Spanish Apartment'), but it is Xavier (Roman Duris), French wannabe writer who holds the center of `Russian Dolls,' its sequel. That means, you don't have to watch `Spanish Apartment' to see it: what you see in `Russian Dolls' is the life of a struggling author who finds it very hard to find a true love after flirting with women around Europe.
Roman Duris plays again Xavier, no longer a student studying abroad, but working as a writer for magazines. He has been writing love stories, even ghost-writing for someone else and recently got a job as writer for a TV drama. Xavier, who is going to be 30, is aware that he is getting recognized professionally ... but of course not in the way he wanted. Still he has a good job, and he knows it, too, and he is ready to tell a lie or two before the executives if he can get another job that would bring him money.
But Klapisch's meandering script is more concerned with Xavier's love life which seems endless and pointless. It seems as if Xavier must go out with anyone around him in order to find a true love for him. That does not mean he is a Don Juan. It is more like he wants to really settle down, but just does not know with whom. Thus Xavier is seen sleeping with ladies, sometimes cheating on someone else. You may say (and director may say) he is just confused; I would say he is just irresponsible, only repeating the clichéd image of certain types of males.
There are supports from two famous players: Audrey Tautou and Cécile De France. Not much can be said about their small roles except that Tautou plays a mother for the first time in her career.
There are good things in `Russian Dolls' I admit. The story about Russian ballet dancer is a sweet one, perhaps a better story than the main one; Xavier's attitudes to his profession have a ring of truth (and I personally experienced similar things). All the episodes about the marriage in Russia have humor and pathos, which Xavier's lengthy and sometimes boring story needs more. Xavier's indecisiveness about life is understandable, but his confused idea about love is just incomprehensible. I think I know the film's title refers to Russian toy; I understand the `doll-within-doll-within doll' image, but to understand someone deeper is one thing, to keep looking for another girl is absolutely another.
Movie Review: A modern love story mostly in French
Summary: 3 Stars
The open life style of these young well educated Europeans is
far from traditional. Xavier is shown sleeping around
and having an openly lesbian best friend-room mate.
They appear to be looking in every place possible for
"LOVE" as if that were more important than anything else in life.
Most ordinary people who would try to live like this would end up in disaster?!
As touching and well written as the script may be,
it is also a prescription for social problems.
Western society seems to be stretching the edges of moral decay
and encouraging the young on a road that may not end
in anyone being happy or healthy?
Movie Review: A loser stays a loser
Summary: 1 Stars
The problem is not the movie, it is Romain Duris the main character in the film, why this guy ever made actor is beyond me, he was so so in the Auberge Espagnole movie, but in this one, Russian Dolls, he literally sucks. the movie is saved by Kelly Reilly and some great shots of St PetersburgMovie Review: The subtitles sucked
Summary: 1 Stars
I don't speak French and only about half of the dialouge was translated.