Barfuss in Paris

Every now and then a film comes along that defies conventional genre labels. From its enticing title and zany opening scenes, the independent French-Belgium film Lost in Paris (2017)teases the senses with its mix of vaudeville/burlesque comedy and circus slapstick, all interleaved with a drama on ageing and, of course, a romance. Like all circus-style performance, any semblance of a story only serves to join the non-stop physical comedy into a narrative whole.

A timid librarian in Canada, Fiona (Fiona Gordon) has always dreamt of going to Paris. One day she learns that her 88-year old aunt Martha (Emmanuele Riva) has run away from her Paris home because the authorities want her in aged care. In Canadian Mountie style, she packs her knapsack and flies to France. Searching the streets of Paris, she meets Dom (Dominique Abel), a comic tramp keen to assist as well as help himself to whatever he can, The various adventure skits play out as if on a vaudeville stage but with Parisian scenery.

With a storyline as thin as this, you may wonder what holds the film together. Every scene contains a sight gag; some are downright corny, others whimsically cute. Like a door opens during a Canadian blizzard and everyone tilts forty-five degrees; Martha and her long-lost lover on a park bench dance only with their feet in a too-cute metaphor of synchronicity; and the top-heavy toppling into the Seine makes any cinema erupt in laughter. It's wonderful that anyone still makes films like this.

The three principals are more caricatures than people, both in appearance and performance. While this risks emotional disengagement from the cast, it also means comedy entertainment takes precedence over all else, unless you want to dig deeper. After all, life is offering the gawky-spinster Fiona a bigger purpose and a chance at love; fate calls on the vagabond Dom to rise above his lot; and Martha's mischief proves that age is just a number. But these are incidental messages to the film's unequivocal pursuit of laughter.

Comedy plays a serious role in absurdism by making us ask "why not?". Why shouldn't these three gentle misfits have some fun and why shouldn't a film resurrect the styles of Charlie Chaplin, The Three Stooges, or Laurel and Hardy? In these troubled times, we take life far too seriously.

"Lost In Paris (2016 release from France/Belgium; 83 min. original title "Paris pieds nus") brings the story of Fiona and Dom. As the movie opens, Fiona gets a letter from her 88 yr. old aunt Martha, who's lived in Paris for decades but now cries out for help. Fiona does not hesitate, says goodbye to her Canadian village in the snowy mountains, and off she goes. When she gets to Paris, her aunt Martha is not home, forcing Fiona onto the streets and into all sorts if (mis)adventures. In a parallel story, we get to know Dom, a homeless guy who lives in a small tent on the banks of the Seine and finds the backpack that Fiona just lost. That very first night, by chance they meet in a restaurant... To tell you more of the plot would spoil tour viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

First of all, this movie is a labor of love of Fiona Gordon and Dominique Abel, who co-direct, co-produce, co-write and co-star in this movie. Here they bring a series of funny scenes, using a physical and visual kind of humor that is reminiscent of another age (Jacques Tati, of course, and many others), and which has become all but extinct in this day and age. The use of both the Paris Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower is done in a refreshing way. The movie clips by at a surprisingly fast tempo. But in the end it's all about the interplay between Fiona and Dom.

The movie opened recently without any pre-release hype or marketing at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. I figured this would not be playing very long. The Tuesday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great (less than 10 people). But I'll tell you what: almost everyone (including myself) laughed out loud on many occasions, and seemed to enjoy themselves. If you are in the mood for a physical and visual comedy the like of which we rarely get to see anymore, I readily recommend you check out "Lost In Paris", be it in the theater, on VOD or eventually on VD/Blue-ray.

It did for me...I'm a sucker for weird stuff but this was too much for . Yet when it was over I read comments about it and was quite impressed with what some saw about this movie.

Being recorded on my TV, I cut the comercials out and kept it just in case.

My wife has no tiime for this kind of corny material and had a long face watching it till she quit as it was too much for her.

But that evening we had friends over and I show them a little of it; just to give them an idea of what it was... They were in stiches as they found it so funny.

Well that's it. Only some people will appreciate it as indeed in the second watching for me I realised how clever some parts actually were.

I'm not great with bad caricatures and was rather turned off with Fiona's look But I got over it and really enjoy the "take two" viewing It's interesting how Dom and Fiona are also actually the real name of this two characteres.

As for "New York" and the statue of Liberty. It was a new thing for me. I left Paris (well France) 53 years ago and I don't remember it near the Eifel Tower. But It seems there are 8 such statues in Paris, one given by the USA, one that went back there and the others all over the place!

If I go back to Paris I'll sure look for the secrete entrance to Paris tallest lady!

I can only agree with the previous reviewer "One of best French / English movies I've ever seen." With a refreshing style this film had me laughing with guffaws and belly laughs within minutes from scene 2 right through to the end. The plot was simple and the principle characters Fiona Gordon, Emmanuelle Riva and Dominique Abel were a delight. Although the plot was simple it was embedded with amusing intrigue which ran and ran. Very well constructed, extremely funny and I will happily watch it again and again.

.. just what did happen to those socks?

This movie is theater of the absurd. You just have to float along with it and you will chuckle at the ridiculousness of it. It is full of little surprises and the scenery of Paris makes for a great backdrop.

I can understand why one person wrote a scathing, one-star review but that person must been expecting something very different. Don't have any expectations with this film, just follow along with the pointless silliness of it and you'll enjoy it.