Paris

Cédric Klapisch’s steroidal romantic ode to the City of Lights was one of the more accessible films that played this year’s Sacramento French Film Festival. It may be filled with Franco-fatalism, but it’s hardly more challenging than the similarly structured Love, Actually, as an ensemble of French acting all-stars (including Juliette Binoche, Mélanie Laurent and Francois Cluzet) live, love, suffer and celebrate against a variety of postcard backdrops. Frequent Klapisch collaborator Romain Duris plays Pierre, an ex-dancer severely weakened by heart disease. As Pierre watches over the city from his apartment window like a stone angel, Klapisch’s dense script links all walks of Parisian life, from the runways to the universities to the fish markets. Paris is genuinely affectionate and filled with likable performances, but it’s also too cute by half.