Paris in Spring: A suicide pact that turned into a breezy afternoon

Is it worth your time?

If you like movies where people talk in fast, snappy sentences and everyone is dressed better than they have any right to be, you’ll probably have a good time. It’s the kind of thing you watch on a rainy Sunday when you need a palate cleanser. If you’re looking for something heavy or grounded in reality, well, you’re looking in the wrong place.

The whole thing kicks off with a suicide pact on the Eiffel Tower, which is certainly one way to start a comedy. It’s dark, sure, but the movie shakes it off in about five minutes. It’s almost impressive how quickly they move past the "jumping off a building" bit to get to the flirting.

Notes from the couch

• The chemistry feels like it was turned up to eleven, almost to a fault.
• I spent a solid ten minutes wondering why the background extras were all staring at the camera.
• The lighting in the cafe scene is weirdly fuzzy, like someone spilled a bit of milk on the lens.
• Akim Tamiroff is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Honestly, he’s the only one who looks like he’s actually having a good time.

There’s a specific bit where the two leads decide to make their exes jealous, and it feels like a dress rehearsal for every rom-com released in the last eighty years. It’s predictable, but the delivery is so earnest that I didn’t really mind. It feels a bit like Don't Bet on Love in its pacing—quick, bouncy, and not really concerned with whether the plot holes are big enough to drive a truck through.

It’s not a masterpiece. Sometimes the dialogue feels like it was written by people who had never actually met a human being before. But then you get a look at the scenery, and you just kind of accept it.

The ending isn’t a surprise, but the path to get there is just strange enough to be worth the ride. It’s not quite as moody as The Red Kimono, obviously, but it has a weird, flickering energy that keeps you from checking your phone.

I caught myself laughing at a joke that wasn't even funny, just because the timing was so tight. That’s the real trick, isn't it? If you say something silly with enough confidence, it just works.

It’s a breezy, slightly hollow, and genuinely sweet way to waste an hour. Just don’t think too hard about the whole "suicide by Eiffel Tower" thing. The movie certainly doesn't.