AFI Fest 2021: Paris 13th District Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s AFI Fest, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

Romantic comedies are a timeless genre that has lived from generation to generation, adapting with the times. Nevertheless, that formula does get tiresome for the most part therefore can limit films in the eyes of some audiences. That being said, the genre continues to run strong based on the legion of fans who still flock to movie theatres and/or streaming services to watch the latest entries. While that formula has remained relatively consistent, what sets films apart is their execution of said formula. Paris 13th District is a French romantic comedy that takes a more grounded approach that was not only compelling to watch but also felt very current with its young, relatable and interesting characters. Though its foreign language nature (this case French) and its black and white cinematography though beautiful won’t be for everyone, its performances and the great chemistry among its cast still make the film more than worth the watch.

Paris 13th District, as mentioned, is a romantic comedy set in the thirteenth district of Paris and follows a group of four young adults and their complicated relationships as they lived and loved. Looking for a female roommate, Émilie (Zhang) found herself meeting a male teacher named Camille (Samba) for whom they would strike a casual relationship for a time. Having their fair share of ups and downs as the two were still figuring themselves out and not quite ready for a serious relationship, the latter found himself gravitating towards another woman named Nora (Merlant) who was also figuring herself out and not quite ready for a serious relationship either. Through her struggles, Nora befriended a woman named Amber (Beth) for whom she struck a friendship with. While it may seem like that there is a lot going on here, the story weaves in and out between these characters in a compelling enough way despite dragging at times in the middle while positioning itself towards  an ending that shouldn’t comes as too much of a surprise to anyone.

In the end, Paris 13th District will live or die based on the connection between audiences and its characters. The acting and sharp script definitely helped in that regard. The acting was strong across the board as was the chemistry between the four leads, making for a fun and relatable dynamic. One can’t help but feel for each of them as they all come from relatable places. Though there could have been more character development, the film finds a decent balance in spite of that.

At the end of the day, Paris 13th District is a strong effort that may not bring anything new to the table but set itself apart with its execution.

 still courtesy of AFI

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.