Get Ready to Laugh and Cringe: a Daring and Bold Take on What It Means to Be â€œfriendsâ€

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MOVIE REVIEW
Adieu Paris
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Genre: Comedy
Year Released: 2022
Runtime: 1h 36m
Director(s): Edouard Baer
Writer(s): Edouard Baer, Marcia Romano
Cast: Benoit Poelvoorde, Francois Damiens, Pïerre Arditi, Bernard Le Coq, Bernard Murat, Daniel Prévost
Language: French w/English subtitles
Where To Watch: Available streaming and DVD www.icarusfilms.com

RAVING REVIEW: The film takes place in a cozy Parisian cafe, where some distinguished gentlemen gather for their annual dinner. These guys are the "kings of Paris," their sense of humor and the self-mockery game is next level. An unexpected intruder disrupts them, and hilarity ensues.

An actor invited by his artist friend to join the prestigious circle for the first time finds himself in a sticky situation. As these events unfold, it reminds me of how the different cliques in school worked. The film struggled at times, as ultimately, its scope was more significant than the events on screen could be.

The film is an in-your-face critique of the entire world of French cinema, making some comical yet harsh comments that I wasn’t expecting. The cast mixes veteran actors and newer names who can counter them with their performances.

Paying tribute to actors who brought characters of French cinema to the screen over the decades, the film takes us inside this group that some can see as “grumpy old men” from the outside. Again while I appreciate the idea of the story, there just ultimately felt like something was missing from the picture.

The dinner scene specifically may have been the ultimate highlight; the interactions between each character and the visceral reactions can’t help but make you feel uncomfortable in a way. The film's ending was a point of contention; I wanted more out of it, but that doesn’t mean it was bad. I was just searching for more of a verbal expansion on the conclusion.

ADIEU PARIS is a film that most will likely love or walk away from underwhelmed. Some of the content may have missed me, not being the target audience. This was an experience I wouldn’t soon forget, if you like French cinema, this is worth giving a try.

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[photo courtesy of DISTRIB FILMS/ICARUS FILMS]