Review of Russian Dolls (2005) by Majdy T — 21 Dec 2009

"L'auberge espagnole", although not flawless and very low-key, is probably one of the best films about nostalgia ever made. In "Les poupées russes", the main character of both films, Xavier (Duris), has coped well with his post-Erasmus nostalgia. However, what seemed, at the end of "L'auberge", to be both a cure and a new beginning has turned out to be much less of the latter. Xavier is nearly thirty and his life still badly needs focus.

The film follows Xavier from Paris to London to Moscow to Saint-Petersburg, examining relationships with his ex-Erasmus friends (many of whom look like they got a hold on life better than himself), his ex-girlfriend Martine (Tautou) and various new lovers. The sceneries are exciting and the characters are crafted perhaps with even more care and sincerity than in "L'auberge" (the Duris-Tautou "still friends" duo is a delight) - but the romantic allure of "L'auberge" served well to smoothen the rough edges and dilute the film's hard-boiled message - writer-director Cédric Klapisch is definitely a man of ideas more than anything else. "Les poupées" is no less cerebral, but with the grown-up life being what it is, there's much less in the film to get carried away with - meaning that at times it becomes more of a philosophical drama than a romantic comedy. And for that purpose, perhaps the philosophical message that the film tries to convey - that letting go of dreams is a sad, but necessary part of growing up - is simply not strong enough.