Rue des plaisirs (2002)

Rue des plaisirs: Directed by Patrice Leconte. With Patrick Timsit, Laetitia Casta, Vincent Elbaz, Catherine Mouchet. A handyman in a 1940s Paris brothel tries to help the prostitute he loves with her singing career and romantic life.

“This movie caught my eye while I was channel surfing. I donu0026#39;t know what kept me from changing the channel despite the slow, unstructured plot – but Iu0026#39;m glad I stayed with it. The story is highly predictable, but I think they didnu0026#39;t try to avoid that. Instead, they tell the story in a very creative way. I can see why it would annoy those who like a very structured movie. But this movie is kind of like listening to a song without really caring about the words. Likewise, the story isnu0026#39;t really the point here, itu0026#39;s about the characters in the story.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMidway through the movie, I was pretty sure the lead actress was Casta, but I didnu0026#39;t even know she had an acting career. I look forward to seeing more of her. She was very graceful, above obviously beautiful, and helped center the rest of the cast. I really loved the sets and the costumes as well, and I believe this is the first time Iu0026#39;ve taken a line to mention this in a review. All these little things put together made it an enjoyable viewing experience, as long as you believe enough in the characters to want to know what happens to them.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eYouu0026#39;ll probably never seek out this film unless youu0026#39;re already a fan of Casta. But if the mood fits you right, or you simply like movies set in the u0026#39;40s, this can be a very rewarding film.”