At first sight, this seems the poetic story of three misfits who find each other in a luxurious Parisian building.
Paloma is pre-teen girl, who decides to kill herself on her 12th birthday, disillusioned by the empty existence of her rich family. She does not fit in because she is too smart and much too disenchanted for her age.
Paloma is presented as very artistic, extremely articulated and quite cynical. It may seem endearing, but she sounds like a much older, smug person rather than a child. Besides, I doubt anybody in her age-range would be able to produce works of art of the quality shown in the movie.
Renée is the 54 yo concierge. Short, fat and unattractive, she plays the part of the ignorant concierge but she does not fit in, because in reality she is a very sensitive person who loves reading, especially Tolstoi. (But why is she playing the part, anyway?)
M. Ouzo is the new Japanese tenant and he doesn't fit in because... just because he's a Japanese in Paris, I guess.
M. Ouzo and Renée bond instantaneously on the incipit of Anna Karenina. A weird friendship develops and we're supposed to believe in the attraction between these two, who have zero sparkles (even of the intellectual type). Meanwhile, Paloma gets intrigued by their budding romance and by the idea that people can meet on a higher spiritual level than her family and she starts revising her plan.
I admit that this movie intrigued me, because of the unusual mix of characters. However, I give it zero credibility when it comes to the romance and - although definitely in a minority here - I truly disliked Paloma for her excessive smugness. Somebody from that background does not have any right to complain. She'd better bear with good grace all the disappointment that life will inevitably bring.
For a much better movie on teenage angst, I'd recommend The Virgin Suicides.
Paloma is pre-teen girl, who decides to kill herself on her 12th birthday, disillusioned by the empty existence of her rich family. She does not fit in because she is too smart and much too disenchanted for her age.
Paloma is presented as very artistic, extremely articulated and quite cynical. It may seem endearing, but she sounds like a much older, smug person rather than a child. Besides, I doubt anybody in her age-range would be able to produce works of art of the quality shown in the movie.
Renée is the 54 yo concierge. Short, fat and unattractive, she plays the part of the ignorant concierge but she does not fit in, because in reality she is a very sensitive person who loves reading, especially Tolstoi. (But why is she playing the part, anyway?)
M. Ouzo is the new Japanese tenant and he doesn't fit in because... just because he's a Japanese in Paris, I guess.
M. Ouzo and Renée bond instantaneously on the incipit of Anna Karenina. A weird friendship develops and we're supposed to believe in the attraction between these two, who have zero sparkles (even of the intellectual type). Meanwhile, Paloma gets intrigued by their budding romance and by the idea that people can meet on a higher spiritual level than her family and she starts revising her plan.
I admit that this movie intrigued me, because of the unusual mix of characters. However, I give it zero credibility when it comes to the romance and - although definitely in a minority here - I truly disliked Paloma for her excessive smugness. Somebody from that background does not have any right to complain. She'd better bear with good grace all the disappointment that life will inevitably bring.
For a much better movie on teenage angst, I'd recommend The Virgin Suicides.