Under the stars of Paris

A touching story where the main characters, even if they do not speak the same language, create a relationship both tender and endearing in which words are not necessary anymore. The combination of innocence and bitterness that the movie shows invites the viewer to reflection.

Claus Drexel, a German filmmaker living in the Gallic country since his childhood, directs a new film that does not leave the viewer indifferent. The sensitivity with which he portrays the marginal situation of so many human beings in Paris is perfectly complemented by the vision of the world of the co-protagonist, who at the young age of eight has to experience what it means not to have a place to which call home. The plot begins with the daily life of Christine (Catherine Frot), a woman who wanders through the corners of the city and sleeps sheltered under a bridge. One winter day she finds Suli (Mahamadou Yaffa), an apparently lost boy, at the door of her hiding place. Although she tried to ignore him at first, the ghosts of her past and the empathy towards the child's situation will make Christine decide to help him find his mother. Despite the romanticism of its title and the appropriate choice of location, the plot centers on a truth that many prefer to ignore when thinking about the city of love. Drexel brings to the screen different realities that coexist in the same space in the collective imagination: from the homeless woman to the immigrants who have ended up on the street after fleeing in boats, passing through the circles of drug addicts that hide in the entrails of the metropolis; all of them are considered the outcasts of society. The filmmaker tells their stories without falling into the drama or the condescension of those who have not experienced this situation and intends to lecture on the subject, something that enriches the film and allows him to build good characters.

Visually, Under the stars of Paris is entertaining, it does not stand out for its great action scenes or for its frenetic rhythm, which is reminiscent, on some occasions, of an aesthetic more typical of a documentary than fiction. However, this more classic storytelling is interrupted by a kaleidoscopic visualization when Suli uses the toy Catherine gives him. This fact allows us to get an idea of ​​both the literal deformation of the child's reality - after all, that is the function of the kaleidoscope - and the deformation of his personal world, finding himself alone in an unknown city and without knowing where is his mother. Overall, it's a predictable movie, but no less emotional for that. The director does not intend to surprise at any time, but to put a face and give voice to some of the thousands of stories that occur daily in France as in so many other countries. The story is simple, and yet well told. The only thing missing would be having more information about Christine's stormy past. If Claus Drexel's decisions in this regard were premeditated, a clearer explanation of her past would have helped to understand what she went through and why does she acts as she does. The feature film has been awarded at several international festivals, including the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (USA), where it won the award for best international film, best film chosen by the public and best actress for Catherine Frot.

Mark: 7/10 Original review: https://contraste.info/cinema/critica-bajo-las-estrellas-de-paris/