an unforgettable city: Paris, Je t'aime (2006)

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Title: Paris, je t'aime
Language: French
Year: 2006
Directors: Olivier Assayas, Frédéric Auburtin, and 20 more credits
My Rating: 4.7/5

"Through the neighborhoods of Paris, love is veiled, revealed, imitated, sucked dry, reinvented and awakened." -imdb

After seeing this film last night, I couldn't fall asleep for a long time. The opening film at Cannes International Film Festival of 2006, this 20-segment film portrays the many facets of Paris that one least knows and/or expects. Although the plot summary above seems broad and over-generalizing, I assure you that it is not. It is accurately the impression that the film will leave you.

Each of the 20 segments in this film, directed by a different director, lasts 5 minutes and can be a standalone by itself. In one way or another, each segment tells a love story, no matter heartwarming, saddening, thoughtful, or bizarre: one talks about a young boy discovering the right way to treat a girl on the bank of the Seine; one deals with a grieving mother's recovery from having lost her son; one tells the story of a blind boy falling in and out of love with a foreign actress; one shows the audience the complicated breakup scene of an old couple... 

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Through these 20 mini films that together build the complex, interweaving structure that is not only the film Paris, Je t'aime but also the city Paris and its people, I constantly felt the enchantment as well as the cruelty of the society that we live in. The last segment of the end of the film sums it up for us really well: "Sitting there, alone in a foreign country, far from my job and everyone I know, a feeling came over me. It was like remembering something I'd never known before or had always been waiting for, but I didn't know what. Maybe it was something I'd forgotten or something I've been missing all my life. All I can say is that I felt, at the same time, joy and sadness. But not too much sadness, because I felt alive. Yes, alive. That was the moment I fell in love with Paris. And I felt Paris fall in love with me." (source)

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In the last few minutes of the movie, the camera shifts from one protagonist's perspective to another, and through their eyes we realize that their lives, however unrelated as they seem, are ultimately connected to each other. And this is the wonder of the our lives, of the world we live in.

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xx
Vanessa :]

Music Monday: poignant french song time

Last night I saw a wonderful film called Paris, Je t'aime (you can find my review here). I found two songs in the film extremely moving: Paris Je t'aime by Elisabeth Anais and La Meme Histoire by Feist. Listen to the two songs, and you'll find yourself lost in nostalgia, dreams, and thoughts. Beautiful tunes that remind me of the ever-changing face of Paris, of fate, and of love and life.

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http://lyricstranslate.comThe Same Story
This link between us
This elusive thing?
Where are those fates, which are tied
To make us inseparable, going?
Over time
Wherever the wind goes...
Our desires, our loves
We leave without knowing
We're still
In the same story...
This thing which separates us,
Which, by chance, brings us together?
Why so many one-way tickets, so many departures
In this unending circle?
Over time
Wherever the wind goes...thus...
Our desires, our loves
We leave without knowing
We're still
In the same story...
The same story...
Our desires, our loves
We leave without knowing
We're still
In the same story...
The same story...

But what is

We move forward

We live day by day

But what is

We move forward

We live day by day

We live day by day

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xx

Vanessa :]

I know it's not Monday but

I am tempted to share my latest playlist with you, so here goes. French themed, mes cheries!

Une Promenade à Champs-Élysées from ness428 on 8tracks Radio.

xx

Vanessa :]

Savvy Saturday: Macarons

Savvy Saturday     n. a means to make one shrewd and knowledgable in the realities of life; rite of passage to becoming cultured

Now, shall we?

Starting the tradition, this Saturday I'm sharing a bit of my francophile side with y'all. Yesterday was my French research paper's due date, and guess what I wrote about? Yes, macarons!

I know you probably have a LOT of questions parading through your mind right now, but no worries, after reading this post you will become instantly savvy (or at least macaron-savvy)!

Macarons, a French word, is what we Americans commonly refer to as macaroons (Gah, I hate that name, it totally ruins the delicate french sound of 'macaron'). So what is a macaron? According to the dictionary, it is "a light cookie made with egg white, sugar, and usually ground almonds or coconut." 

The origin of macaron is quite a mystery: some people believe it was invented by Pierre Desfontaines, the cousin of the founder of La Durée, the famous French pastry shop; others claim that the first macaron was born in Italy, created by the chef of Catherine de Medicis, in celebration of her marriage to the Duc d'Orleans.

Anyways, that's that. More importantly: where can you find good macarons?

My answer(s):

1. Macaron Café, New York City

They have two stores in the City, each with a tiny storefront and magnificent macaron towers on display in those small windows! The raspberry one is really good, and so is the pistachio one!

Their latest collection, just in time for Chinese New Year, is outrageously beautiful:

2. La Durée, Paris, France

There are several La Durée's in Paris, but the most famous one is the one on Champs-Elysées--you have to wait in line for hours just to get a taste of these gorgeous little treats! But the taste--ah, it's totally worthwhile! (hint hint: if you ever visit Paris, be sure to stop by and grab a macaron or all the macarons in the store.)

Macaron is not only a gem in the culture of pastries, it has also become more representative of a chic lifestyle. Its pastel colors and soft roundedness has made it a popular theme for special occasions such as weddings and birthday parties. A few weeks ago when I was at Paper Source in Princeton, I found macaron print on many of their spring products! Such as this adorable macaron Valentine's Day card:

So, what are you still waiting for? Go get a macaron! Pair that with hot dark chocolate, and it's heaven...

xx

Vanessa :]

ps. music accompaniment for a frenchie day

Les temps sont durs pour les rêveurs. from stellaklimt on 8tracks Radio.

Girls'-Night-Perfect: LOL (2008)

Title: LOL

Language: French (oui, oui, j'adore!)

Year: 2008

Director: Lisa Azuelos

Cast (part): Sophie Marceau, Christa Theret, Jérémy Kapone (<3)

My Rating: 4/5

"When Lola's boyfriend is unfaithful to her on his summer holiday, she dumps him and flirts with his best friend as punishment. But as their class prepares to leave on an excursion to London, the relationship heats up."

Anyone who knows me at all knows how much of a francophile I am. I am very obsessed with anything and everything french, from macarons to Les Misérables (the novel) to the language French (seriously, is it not beautiful? is it not romantic as hell?)

So, I was very much inclined to give this move a 5/5 rating, simply because it's French and takes place in Paris (the City of Light!) and reminds me so much of Anna and the French Kiss and the guy protag is smokin' hawt (Jérémy Kapone, girls, Jérémy Kapone. He is a real danger).

The film is very cutesy, and a perfect pick for a girls' night in. It's a rom com/chick flick that has a very smart double plot: as Lola deals with problems concerning her a-hole boyfriend and her friend who is a boy, her mom (played by the elegant and beautiful Sophie Marceau) has to choose between her ex-husband--who she still sleeps with--and a charismatic police officer she met by chance.  

The whole movie is on the lighthearted side, with an appropriate amount of PG-13 scenes. The plot is easy to follow, and the story is funny, moving, and ridiculously relatable. 

Recommended for: francophiles, those who are looking to be wooed by a beautiful guy protag, chick flick lovers, french learners (who will learn quite a few curse words from this film), Sophie Marceau's suitors.

And finally, may I just say: if only I went to their school. Oh the Baroque buildings. Oh the ornate wrought iron gate. Oh Paris.

*fangirl moment: omgomgomg I love Jérémy Kapone he is the best he sings and plays guitar and eats lollipops like a pro omgomgomg see this movie see it and you'll know what I'm talkin' about!*

C'est tout! 

xx

Vanessa :]

isn't he beautiful? aren't they so very cute? :3

[sources: imdb, tumblr]