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Eine Meerjungfrau in Paris ©2021 capelight pictures

Although it is not yet available on the German market, EINE MEERJUNGFRAU IN PARIS is based on a recently published book of the same name. Author Mathias Malzieu brought it onto the market in 2019. Apparently he was very enthusiastic about his work, because in fact there is also a corresponding audio book and now the same film – all realised by the same person. Apart from that, Malzieu has not yet been able to make a big name for himself. He has already worked several times as a dubbing artist for films such as JACK ET LA MÉCANIQUE DU CŒUR, which he also directed himself, but this work marks his directorial debut for feature-length films. His cast, on the other hand, can draw on considerably more experience. For example, we see Tchéky Karyo in a supporting role, who has already appeared in many major productions such as NIKITA, THE CORE and THE PATRIOT, as well as supporting actress Rossy de Palma, who has appeared regularly in films, series and TV productions since 1987.

What it’s about…

While strange things are happening in Paris and men keep disappearing in the Seine, Gaspard is unaware of all this. He is more concerned with his father’s restaurant, which once made a glorious mark on the cityscape of Paris and is now about to be taken over by a large chain. The young man has not believed in love for a long time, because several disappointments have marked his past. But everything changes for him overnight when he suddenly sees a mermaid lying on the riverbank, apparently injured. In the course of his helpfulness, he brings her to his home and lovingly cares for her in his bathtub, which is to become a central place of life for the creature in the future. She herself is afraid, because she has never been comfortable with humans and they are to blame for her mother’s death – will she manage to overcome her fear?

Review

With A SEA VIRGIN IN PARIS we get to see a small and charming love story that tries to entertain with the most diverse means. Similar to what the protagonist manages to do with men with her singing, director Mathias Malzieu also tries to captivate the audience with a sensory flood of images and sound design. The idea of the film in particular basically manages to do this, because on the one hand there are far too few mermaid stories these days, on the other hand the conditions for a heartfelt romance have been excellently created with simple means. In addition, the rather gloomy look is somewhat reminiscent of last year’s German Berlinale hit UNDINE by director Christian Petzold, and seems to take on a bit of mystical saga stories, abstracting them extensively in the process. Quite nice is

Eine Meerjungfrau in Paris ©2021 capelight pictures

Unfortunately, that’s it for the praise, because despite the nice idea, Malzieu can’t offer us a story that really captivates us. Starting with various incomprehensible and not sensible plots, to a very small setting, to a partly overloaded presentation full of garish colours and an unapproachable cast, everything is there. The entire narrative seems very fairytale-like, but at the same time offers hardly any magic to be able to dive into a loving fantasy world. Also, any hinted mystery quickly vanishes into thin air and fizzles out into insignificance, given that simply the entire plot is clear from the first moment.

Time floats lazily by

The big question that arises for a long time is what time this film is actually set in. On the one hand, the setting looks like Paris at the beginning of the twentieth century, on the other hand, various clues give reason to assume that the action takes place in the 1950s or 1960s. For example, we get to see television technology, which indicates that the technology is no longer contemporary. Surprisingly, however, the plot is dated to 2016, when storms in France hit the capital and caused plenty of flooding. However, this date is in no way reflected in the plot. Even attempts at unusual camera movements, such as several circumnavigations in the course of a circular shot, do not bring us enough innovation to reflect the modern age.

Eine Meerjungfrau in Paris ©2021 capelight pictures

Another major shortcoming is the lack of emotionality. The story is clearly geared towards a love story that is supposed to immerse viewers in romantic feelings. However, these are not really brought across at any point and the action on screen leaves you completely cold. The learning process of the young mermaid, in which she gets to know human customs and developments, drowns out any emotional attachment, as do the many cuts that are set far too early.

Conclusion

In the end, it seems as if Malzieu himself doesn’t really know what he wants from the film. The plot shifts confusingly back and forth and offers us hardly any tangible elements that would even affect any emotional state. If you squint a little, you might be able to discern a social critique of medical care and absurd bureaucracy, but even this only resonates in the distance. All in all, we get a little less than two hours of film banter, which could by no means be described as bad, but at the same time offers no approach to identifying a group of people who could really enjoy the work.

How did you like the movie?
(Bisher gibt es keine User-Bewertung zu diesem Film)

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