Dans Paris (Inside Paris)
FLICK As Jonathan jumps out of bed leaving a man and a woman behind in one of the first shots of Dans Paris, he walks to the balcony, looks directly into the camera and explains to us exactly how he ended up there. Like the circular structure of the film, director Christophe Honoré has swung back 40 years to use a variety of film styles that identified the French New Wave and brings it back into vogue. Honoré skillfully uses those techniques to accent his characters and balances lightness when telling the story of a man with mood swings living with his brother and father.
Jonathan (Louis Garrel) describes in flashback the failed relationship his brother Paul (Romain Duris) had with girlfriend Anna and how it stirred up Paul’s depression. Clearly establishing a connection with us, but like the detachment that runs in the family, the irresponsible Jonathan introduces us to Paul then leaves us with him for the next 20 minutes. Later, he tells Paul he will phone him in 30 minutes after reaching Le Bon Marché, but calls seven hours later having taken a detour to bed three women. All in all, Jonathan loves his brother and sleeps in the living room so Paul can isolate himself in the bedroom. Garrel is incredibly charming when portraying Jonathan as a joker – wearing his boxers on his head attempting to make his brother laugh and, with sped-up film, appearing like Charlie Chaplin as “The Tramp.”
While Duris commands the screen with emotional extremes, Honoré’s use of nonlinear structure coupled with the use of simple costumes accent the changing state of mind and disjointed thoughts in Paul’s head. Having moved to the countryside because life would be easier, or smoother like his clean-shaven face, Paul’s beard mirrors change, as it grows longer, or rougher, each day he lives in his father’s apartment. After washing himself off in the bathroom, Paul dons a crisp white “don’t touch me” shirt while Anna, wearing nothing, lists reasons why he doesn’t want her. Dropping Anna off at the train station, he wears drab browns and earth tones that match the background he’s blending into. But for most of the movie, while lying on a bed covered with sheets that have faded flowers, like the faded love in his life, he wraps himself in a brown multi-patterned sweater echoing the jumbled, confused feelings he can’t sort out. 
Though their father (Guy Marchand) attempts to nourish his sons by doing the cooking and attempting to bring life – a Christmas tree – into the apartment, something as simple as singing a duet about a breakup over the phone is what most comforts Paul.
