Russian Dolls

Xavier continues his musings on the subject of Love.

Herald rating: * * *

Russian Dolls is the sequel to director/screenwriter Cedric Klapisch's award-winning French film The Apartment (L'Auberge Espagnol), a lighthearted and amusing film about the lives and loves of five European twentysomethings living in a flat in Barcelona.

Russian Dolls updates us on the lives of these flatmates five years on, through the lead character and narrator Xavier (Duris). A French economics student-turned-novelist, Xavier spends his time writing short articles on a variety of subjects, penning cheesy romantic scripts for TV soaps, and pondering on love, all while avoiding writing his novel.

We meet him again in a train toilet where is he is furiously writing about the chaotic state of his life, and the events over the previous five years that have led him there.

These thoughts become the narration of the film, and although not much of great importance actually happens in Xavier's life, the film manages to drag on for more than two hours. He introduces us to his old flatmates, a string of girlfriends, his grandfather, publisher, and mother.

All of which leads to a supposedly momentous event in his life, a revelation about love.

Xavier's grandfather reminds him not to forget about the important things in life, and you can't help but wonder whether Klapisch should have taken his own advice. Xavier's whimsical stories are funny, but not terribly insightful, and he doesn't seem to be any more clued-up about love in his 30s than he was in his 20s.

Russian Dolls drags, although, like its predecessor it's visually engaging, with split-screen effects, hip locations and snazzy editing that incorporates fantasy moments, and Xavier's written material.

You don't have to have seen The Apartment to make sense of it, but if you know the characters already, this sequel will be more meaningful.

CAST: Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, Kevin Bishop
DIRECTOR: Cedric Klapisch
RUNNING TIME: 125 mins
RATING: M, contains sex scenes, offensive language and drug use
SCREENING: Academy