Review: Paris, 13th District

While I have had love-hate relationship with French cinema, one talented filmmaker has got me having this country in my good books for now. The person in question is Celine Sciamma.

With her success in directing attracting my attention, this particular feature has Sciamma solely in the writing department.

I can directly see that Sciamma isn't the director, as the pacing is a lot more frenetic than her works and the style is totally different, but equally impactful.

It's a very modern look at relationships and dating, and we get great performances from a strong young cast that make this story very believable.

Lucie Zhang gives a breakthrough performance. She showed great maturity and strength in her character and gave authenticity that made her very watchable.

The same goes for Makita Samba. His performance felt very natural and real with solid development.

Following on from her success in 'Portrait Of A Lady On Fire', Noemie Merlant continues to show what a talent she is. Her story was probably the most interesting, and her performance really helped made this story work and her chemistry with the underrated Jehnny Beth may have stolen the show late on in the film. Despite being more known for her music, Beth's contribution to this film gave it that edge that I think made this more than just good.

So with the strength of the performances as well as it's slick style, efficient pacing and a high energy soundtrack made this a very enjoyable viewing experience.

This is very well made modern love story that covers the topic of modern dating rather well and gives such style that makes it addictive viewing and great re-watchability. It was almost like watching a modern Woody Allen as it certainly captures the spirit of his style. It will be interesting to see if director Jacques Audiard goes for more romance films.

Rating: 8/10