It Happened in Paris: Mostly Just People Talking in Rooms

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you’re into the kind of breezy, low-stakes romantic fluff that feels like it was filmed in an afternoon. If you need a plot that actually goes somewhere, look away. But if you’re a fan of 1935 aesthetics and people being polite to each other in cafes, you’ll be fine.

The story follows Paul, a rich kid who thinks he’s a starving artist because he moved to Paris. We’ve seen this a thousand times. He meets Jacqueline, and suddenly the painting takes a backseat. It’s not exactly The Clock in terms of emotional weight, but it gets the job done.

Notes from the couch

• The lighting in the cafe scenes is weirdly aggressive. Everyone has a shadow under their eyes that looks like they haven't slept since 1930.
• I’m not sure why John Loder looks like he’s trying to solve a math equation every time he has to deliver a romantic line.
• The background extras in the street scenes are clearly just waiting for the director to yell cut. One guy in the back is reading a newspaper for ten minutes straight without turning a page.

There’s a moment about halfway through where Paul is supposed to be having this big artistic breakthrough, but the camera just focuses on him staring at a coffee cup. It’s almost funny how little is happening on screen. You can practically hear the director telling them to 'just look thoughtful.'

It lacks the grit of something like In the Name of Lenin, but obviously, they weren't going for that. It’s just fluff. There’s a scene involving a misunderstanding about a hat that drags on for three minutes too long. You can feel the air leaving the room.

It’s not a bad movie. It’s just a movie that feels like it was made to fill a slot on a Tuesday afternoon double feature. You’ll forget half of it before the credits finish rolling, and honestly, that’s probably for the best. 🎨☕