Review of Russian Dolls (2005) by Travis H — 23 Jan 2007

[i]Russian Dolls[/i], for the most part, is play, play, play. It's got a sleek style, a too-cool-for-school soundtrack, and travels from one side of Europe to the next. While [i]The Spanish Apartment[/i] (the film's predecessor, with all of the main characters returning) was about the struggles of Europe coming together and discovering yourself in a strange world without borders, [i]Russian Dolls[/i] digs deeper into a few of the characters' personal lives, particularly romantic foibles. This works off and on, and in the end you feel like they might have finally made it somewhere.

But still, what makes the film good is Klapisch's absolutely energetic directing. He is always eager to make the most of every possible film technique, which is exciting for the film and the audience. It makes for an incredibly film experience, just as [i]The Spanish Apartment [/i]did. And while you may sit through the film thinking, "these characters are rather silly," you probably won't be able to help smiling at how much fun Klapisch makes this movie.

[b]B+[/b].