Critics reviews

Audiard undoubtedly has an eye for the little details of relationships, and also of the 13th arrondissement, one of Paris’ most diverse and vibrant communities... Yet the moments never quite become a whole...

Though the storylines don’t necessarily match each other in scope and depth, Paris, 13th District is a prurient wonder, displaying the tandem silliness and sadness of love in all of its possibilities.

Audiard’s touch here is light, sensitive and attentive as usual; you feel his fondness for these characters and their world in every frame... Everything looks beautiful in “Paris, 13th District,” especially the different skin tones and gorgeously entangled bodies of its lovers.

Audiard captures the free-spirited frivolity of youth without taking enough interest in it as a time of learning and development. The film ends up feeling slight to the point of bordering on trifling.

Paris, 13th District is fundamentally a piece of slice-of-life cinema. The lack of pronounced stakes and plot development engenders a meandering experience where the characters don’t progress so much as they fumble forward.

Mr. Audiard’s new film can be faulted for some of its less successful contrivances... But “Paris, 13th District,” which pays homage to Eric Rohmer’s talky 1969 classic “My Night at Maud’s,” has a lot on its mind, and gets plenty off its chest.

Unfolding at a relaxed pace and richly enhanced by DP Paul Guilhaume’s silky black and white images, Paris, 13th District is a candid, intimate, and authentic examination of the obstacles that keep young urbanites from connecting.

The movie has pace and lustre to spare, and the actors are richly invested in their characters, not hesitating to make them crabby and selfish, when need be, as well as sympathetic.

Hanging out with these three people for 105 minutes is an attractive, rewarding experience, but the film’s attempts to draw in deeper, darker themes are mostly unexplored. Much like Camille’s initial outlook on finding a partner, it never quite breaks beyond surface level.

Audiard is great at teasing out these deeper elements without resorting to melodramatic showdowns and he’s aided by a brilliant cast who ground their characters’ sexual urges and hang-ups with recognisable human behaviour.

With keenly-observed riffs on topics including dating apps, stand-up comedy and the nature of casual dating in the modern world, there’s no moralising or scorn for the young folks and their messy approach to work and play. Even with its artsy cinematography, this feels like Audiard’s least self-conscious work to date...

However, for all its stylistic prowess – and a tremendous score by French artist Rone – Paris, 13th District feels empty and soulless. A rare misfire for one of France’s greatest living directors.