Directed by Christophe Honore
The opening scene of Inside Paris is somewhat misleading. Jonathan (Louis Garrel) wakes up between two bodies, one male and one female. It turns out that the male is his brother Paul (Romain Duris) and the female is one of the three that Jonathan had slept with the previous day. In a move that is meant to infuse some humour into the account of the previous day, Jonathan addresses the camera directly and announces that he is not the hero of the story but simply the narrator of Inside Paris, a film which has been described as a ‘love letter to a titular city’. Jonathan’s words prove correct, as the city of Paris emerges as the hero in this rambling story.
Jonathon and Paul live with their divorced father Mirko (Guy Marchand), and while Jonathan is making the most of his life, Paul is in the grip of depression after the recent break-up with his girlfriend. It’s just before Christmas and Jonathon attempts to cheer up his brother by making a bet that he can reach their favourite Christmas department store in record time. Of course, he is sidetracked, and the indulgent director allows this charming misogamist to use Paris as his playground.
