Paris Is Us (2019) User Reviews

Builds up to what?

[renskeveldman · 4/10 · 22 February 2019]

For me this movie just didn't work. A whole bunch of narration and random scenes of this ice cold main character talking to her boyfriend or her friend. Don't get me wrong, I love movies like this one that don't really make sense and get you into a trance like expierence, but this one was just not for me. I have no idea what this movie was building up to and I have no idea what all of it meant. There was a lot going on and nothing was explained, wich worked in Mulholland Drive for example, but not here. There was also a LOT of narration (a lot more than actual dialogue) and random shots of surroundings. Just a whole bunch of nothing...

In my opinion this movie is just not as good as it maybe could have been.

A bewildering trance-like sequence stretched out into a whole film

[richard-fieldhouse · 5/10 · 23 February 2019]

Anna meets Greg at a disco and after a whirlwind romance, long enough for him to grow a beard at least, he announces out of the blue his intention to move from their Paris home to Barcelona.

Even during this first section of the film, the narrative thread is hard to grasp with many cuts between different times and places - a beach, a park and an abandoned theatre, for instance.

But as the story approaches the doomed flight to Barcelona, things get really trance-like and surreal. Perhaps it all reflects Anna's increasingly tenuous grasp on a reality, which itself now seems to play out against a backdrop of constant and confused civil unrest.

The camera is mostly hand-held and while some of the shots feel too close, others, especially those with actual riot police apparently completely surrounding the action of the movie are exceptional. The camera follows Anna, well played by Noémie Schmidt, pretty much all the way through.

The final result, though, is just too disjointed and voice-overs used throughout the film aren't quite enough to keep things together. For some too, I guess that the frequent strobe effects (perhaps carried through from the disco at the start), might well feel a bit too much. 5/10

Come on!

[quinceyvriesde-77247 · 6/10 · 25 February 2019]

The reviews on here urged me to write my own. This is really not as bad as a movie as it is being described and rated as. If you enjoy your movies solely due to their storyline, this won't be one that you will enjoy. It's a movie with beautiful cinematography, outlining the struggles, worries and uncertainty that comes with early adulthood and first fiery loves.

I Was Annoyed

[shinnstheory · 3/10 · 24 February 2019]

Sorry but... just no. If you'd like to see this movie, acted out live in front of you, read on. Go to your nearest college town. Find the hipster coffee shop that hosts open mic nights. Wait for the hipster girl that always gets up to read/act out her latest poem. There you go.. You've just watched a live version of this movie.

Way too confusing

[CCthatwatch · 1/10 · 3 March 2019]

Way too simple and very privileged way to look at these events happened in Paris. I would say most of this film did a poor job of explaining it thus create a confusing impression of this film.

Thematic and pictures

[kosmasp · 3/10 · 10 August 2019]

The central theme or rather one of the main problems the characters face early on (that is a strain to any relationship), is something that fascinates me generally too. It's the psyche of people, what they think, how they act and what they would do for others, but to which effect and what cost? Some decisions are not easy to make at all.

Yet while there are many interesting factors, the movie does not really get a hold or grip on many things. Quite the opposite is the case. The ending is quite obscure and throwing in a lot of things to make something stick might work for some viewers, but this will rather annoy many audience members. It's not super bad but it never really engages you in any way, which also makes it something that is far from good and a real shame

Absolutely terrible

[sdorros · 2/10 · 16 March 2019]

No story

Not worth the time unless you need a Nap!

Please why would someone waste their time and more importantly mine

I'd rather die watching it again...

[jeanlcamilo · 1/10 · 26 March 2019]

I never rate or write a review for movie when I don't like it but watch this was the most annoying experience in my life!

Not for everybody, but it was for me.

[gabcoul · 7/10 · 19 March 2019]

I really connected with the narration. Who am I? Who do I present myself to be? Are you putting on a face? Do you become that face? How do I want to live? What is worth it? And the gaps and connections in a love relationship. How deep did you feel that love connection, are you still feeling it? Does it still exist?

I could have done without so much camera rotation effects.

One of the worst movies I've ever seen

[kiklen · 1/10 · 14 February 2021]

So boring, it was very annoying. The nonsense history of a girl who has nothing better to do than running everyday without any vision of future. I was looking forward to the movie end soon.

Raw emotions about paris. No storyline

[laureabourachid · 10/10 · 5 March 2019]

This movie is not about a girl meeting a guy in paris. It is about Paris. About how Paris felt during these troubled times. If Paris was a person after the terrorist attack this is this person. Someone afraid, afraid of missing out, afraid of commitment, affraid of attachment, afraid of others... It expresses as a lonely, sad, lost but still charming and beautiful individual! Paris est à nous is beautifully shot and expresses raw emotions. It is not an easy movie to watch and is very experimental but it is so worth it !

Beyond the "ordinary"

[bilgi-11997 · 7/10 · 3 March 2019]

The script is strong. The "pain" of being human in a world that one cannot change the circumstances, being your "self"in a relationship. You can find simple but strong moments about life. The character questions her self being feom childhood. A film about rethinking about the life. I also think that its also a strong film in visual ways and sound.

Simple

[ismailhakkishnn · 3/10 · 19 January 2021]

It's a simple and ordinary movie. My expectation was higher, sorry.

It doesn't a 4.5

[eremare · 6/10 · 27 February 2019]

Maybe the storyline isn't so strong and it doen't have great developmant,but this movie is not about that. The aesthetics of the film was incredible. The movement of the camera, the scenes' sequence, the music and the voice-overs were brilliant. Also it touches some concept like the first love, who to deal with adulthood, etc with a very special way, that make you think about that.

For me, if you like that in a film, it worth watching.

Great but with a bit too much of everything.

[ibrahimcagrikutlu · 8/10 · 19 March 2020]

The movie left me questioning if the later half of the storyline really happened or not. That is quite rare for me of a 21st century movie. This was no movie for a Marvel fan or a once-a-year-cinema type of person. This was a movie for the lover of cinematography and art. Becuase it really doesn't have an exciting storyline. It is all about how it makes you feel. It not only tells a love story, but let's us get in the minds of both protagonists; getting us to attach to them even more. Conclusion: If you don't like movies like Amelie, Totoro, Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind; you probably wouldn't like this one either. It is a movie that's not afraid of being controversial and I believe that's what makes it a "hidden gem". I only recommend these types of movies to friends that have good taste in art-movies and has the cinema culture necessary to compare it to similar titles.

Storyless

[zala_f · 6/10 · 23 February 2019]

Even though the production of this movie is incredible, I have absolutely no clue of how to explain myself its story.

Symbolism

[lucianacampos-76112 · 7/10 · 3 March 2019]

It's Joseph Campbell monomyth. Something about us having to die in order that something else flourish. The images are beautiful.

A metaphor for trauma and grief - really interesting.

[bowmansarah-71823 · 8/10 · 19 May 2019]

Haven't seen a film like this since the early 90s - hand held camera, loose narrative style; all show, no tell. I like films that provoke the viewer to actively engage with the storytelling. Really interesting, though not for everyone. As a metaphor for trauma, coping with trauma and grief and the senselessness of life and death, it is provocative and thought-provoking.

It'd work out as a short film

[SukanyaBasuMallikofficial · 6/10 · 8 October 2019]

Anna misses the flight she should have taken to find Greg in Barcelona. The plane crashes. Taken in the giddiness of a death that has been barely avoided, she moves away from truth and the present. As this couple breaks up, Paris becomes the echo of distress. It's a collage and some sequences are stronger than other. Some dialogues are good, or so they seem in the beginning, later in the movie the lines become clichéd and unbearably boring. The sequence in the theatre is probably the weakest. This movie expresses some concepts (loneliness, self- doubt, fear, but not sure how much of this romance movie really entailed love). A lot of narration and random scenes of this ice cold protagonist (at times excessively jolly with a lack of realistic middle ground) talking to her boyfriend or her ex/ late boyfriend, which didn't make sense and missed the trance like effect, usually expected out of such movies. It'd work out as a short film but not as a complete length movie. For this to be a movie, a lot more work had to be put in.

Confused generation

[Wordwhisperer · 6/10 · 1 January 2021]

There is no plot in this movie and this is not what is all about. It's only about a confused generation that takes everything for granted, that has the impression they don't need to think, they don't need to do anything but letting others imagine what they need and if the others don't imagine, they become upset that the world does not understand them. It's about people letting emotions take place over anything else: logic, society, connecting to other people. It is what people will become in tens of years from now.

That first kiss.

[alton-tw · 8/10 · 24 February 2019]

It's the moment in a love relationship that contains all the rest. It's a bud of pure potential now blossoming into story.

And ultimately, the story that unfolds will be a tragedy--as all love stories are.

Anna meets Greg, Anna loses Greg. Anna grieves and makes her peace. All in a film of visual power and knowing symbolism.

At this point it's tempting to say 'enjoy.' But this is not the cinematic neighbourhood where the word applies, quite. I have no idea whether or not you will 'enjoy' this film. It's unlikely that its creator cares. You can count, though, on being moved.

Not a romantic film. This is deep, dark, poetic and explores the psyche

[franzrebs · 10/10 · 19 January 2020]

I was looking for a movie about Paris, and by sheer luck Netflix gave me this. It was more than I had asked for and now it's one of my favorites. It's the kind of film that you can watch many times over and you leave with something new each time.

The poster, and the first few scenes lead you to think it's a love story. It is not. Soon enough it descends into deep existentialism and an exploration of the subconscious.

I love the camera work in this, the persepective is intimate as if I was watching a Terrence Malick film though it also has the surrealism of a Lynch film or Eternal Sunshine.

The script is superbly written, the dialogues are raw and the monologues poetic.

I don't understand why this film has such a low rating here or why I never heard about if before. Perhaps some disappointed viewers who wanted a romantic drama.

Great movie!

[mail-65155 · 9/10 · 24 February 2019]

I loved it! It's not a masterpiece, but there is probably great thing to come from this director. It's a collage and some sequences are stronger than other. The sequence in the theatre is probably the weakest. Some sequence would The camera work and sound/music are incredible, I could see lots of refreshing idea, interesting character that are not often portrayed in movies. This movie express some concepts (loneliness, incompletion, fears but also love) in a really unique way. It makes me think of Depardon, Tarkowski and Truffaut. We can see some love for the pictures. Some times are more meaningful than others. but I like to watch cool efftets and picture for the sake of it. Sure it's closer from a music video than a traditional blockbusters. but don't we have already enough of them. Watch it with an open mind, enjoy what is being shared without expecting a traditionnal storyline and construction.

INCREDIBLE & psychologically stimulating

[jenniferstainforth · 9/10 · 15 April 2020]

I don't feel like writing a long drawn out review for this, but would just like to say that I'm positive all those people who gave it a bad review probably didn't watch it in its original language, French nor would they even understand French. The movie is one of the best I've seen. It's intense to say the least, and the story and dialogue are fantastic. It makes you question everything in life. I'm highly doubtful that the English dubbed version would translate as well or even have the same impact on me as the French version has. I could literally watch this movie again.

Modern life desperation

[xli-56217 · 10/10 · 25 July 2019]

It's a particularly reassuring feeling to know that there are other people in our generation around the world experiencing the same desperation that I experience on a second to second basis, and made an amazing movie out of it. Some of my friends and I were all experiencing this feeling of absurdity that is described in the film. It isn't quite an existential crisis, or psychological breakdown, but a syndrome quite specific to this time, this generation, and often to students who do well in school and don't have to take responsibility for others, a syndrome that I haven't the vocabulary to describe for the moment. Most of my friends have chose to pretend that they are not lonely by being not alone while I chose to deal with my loneliness head on. Neither way, there's no escape. I hope that Anna really did cross the curtain as easily.