Coeur de Paris: A sleepy stroll through old France

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, it depends on how much you love the smell of old celluloid. If you're into the kind of film that feels like a forgotten dream, watch it. If you get bored when people just walk around talking about their feelings, you'll probably hate every minute of it.

It’s not trying to be Othello. It's just... existing. 🕰️

The vibe

The whole movie has this weird, hazy quality. Like the lens was slightly greasy. I found myself focusing more on the background extras than the main characters. There’s a guy in a cafe scene near the start who just sits there reading a newspaper for an uncomfortable amount of time.

He isn't even part of the story. He’s just there.

Blanche Beaume is fine, I guess. She has this way of looking at the camera that feels very 1930s. Very dramatic. Sometimes she just stands by a window for way too long. It’s supposed to be poetic, but it mostly just makes me wonder if she’s waiting for a bus.

A bit of a tangent

I couldn't stop thinking about Way Back Home while watching this. There’s a similar feeling of longing for a place that doesn't really exist anymore. It’s not that the movies are the same, but they share that same dusty, attic-like atmosphere.

• The lighting is surprisingly moody in the night scenes.
• The dialogue is incredibly polite. Like, unnervingly so.
• I’m pretty sure I saw the same cat walk past the cafe three separate times.

The pacing is a disaster, let’s be honest. It stops, starts, and then decides to take a nap right in the middle of a pivotal scene. But maybe that’s the point? Maybe we aren't supposed to care about the romance as much as the shadows on the wall.

It’s a bit like watching The Blizzard, but without the cold. Just warm, static, and a little bit hollow. Don't go in expecting a masterpiece. Go in expecting a walk through a museum where half the exhibits are just slightly out of focus. 🎞️