Lilac: A strange, moody trip through old Paris

Is it worth your time?

If you like movies that feel like a dusty postcard from a place you’ve never visited, watch this tonight. If you need your plots to be ironed out and logical, stay far away. It’s for the people who want to stare at costumes and wonder what the hell the lead actress is thinking.

Paris looks different here. It isn't the romantic city you see on travel blogs. It’s all grit and shadows.

The vibe

Lilac starts off deep in the criminal mix, but then the detective shows up and everything turns into this weird tug-of-war. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in O Táxi 9297, just with more cigarettes and less driving.

There is a scene in the second act where the lighting just... gives up. It’s dark, almost pitch black, and for a minute I thought my monitor had died. Then someone lights a match and the whole room looks like a painting. It’s totally impractical but I loved it.

The odd bits

• Fernandel shows up, and the whole movie shifts gears for five minutes. It’s jarring.
• The chemistry between the leads is lukewarm at best, like tea left on the counter too long.
• The street extras clearly have no idea where to stand. Watch the background in the cafe scene. They just kinda sway.

I can’t tell if the direction was intentional or if they just ran out of film stock. Sometimes the cuts are so fast they make your head spin. Other times, the camera just sits there on a door handle for way too long. It’s hypnotic in a bad way.

Is it better than Vénus? That’s a tough call. They share that same slightly unhinged energy. Lilac feels a bit more tired, though. Like the actors were all working a double shift.

The ending happens so fast you’ll miss it if you blink. One second they’re arguing, the next the credits roll. I think I laughed out loud when it cut to black. 🤷‍♂️