Sometimes style is the substance. I have to admit, some movies are made to focus on the visual spectacle rather than the content. The storyline for this film is nothing particularly surprising, it’s all about the execution and what and how it depicts the story on the screen. It does work but at the same time, it doesn’t stray far. I would’ve liked some more risks taken.
A Mermaid in Paris (Une Sirène à Paris) was directed by Mathias Malzieu. Gaspard (Nicolas Duvauchelle) has given up on love. He’s a singer at his family’s nightclub in Paris. One night he finds a mermaid (Marilyn Lima) stranded on the shores of the Seine. Here’s where the story of an unlikely romance starts. Okey, perhaps not that unlikely. Lula the mermaid is able to make men fall madly in love with her singing… and probably kill them.
That part of the mermaid myth as “the doom of men” being included is one of things I liked about this movie. The other is the welcome breath of fresh air that is Rossy (Rossy De Palma), the nosy but kind-hearted neighbor to Gaspard. She’s the voice of common sense for the two star-crossed lovers that are unable to see they’re falling for each other. However, the more Gaspard comes closer to fall in love the more there’s a chance he will die, which is Lula’s crux.
Recommended for movie romantics with reservations. The movie enjoys a healthy visual flare of theatricality. It’s unabashedly sentimental, it’s even more than whimsical, but it’s also got a good heart and the most colorful bathrooms that I’ve ever seen. However, besides the magic of the visuals and the colorful palette, the story doesn’t really try doing anything new. Although it doesn’t have much depth that way, it does make for something nice to look at.
That will do for now.
Never Think Impossible 