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Your partner leaves you after she found new love in a far away land. You want to be close to your children so you relocate and become prepared to take any crappy job and live in any type of shithole in order to get by. Sounds complicated?

In case the above is not an intricate enough, you become a sperm donor to help a same sex couple have a child.

In the midst of all this, an old flame comes into town but how can you think about romance? Then again why not? After all, our character does not lead a complicated life, he just...lives.

Incredibly witty with a mixture of European/American sense of humour, it provides a refreshing angle to life itself and how it keeps going with its ups and downs.

Going to new places, especially when you are a bit older and are more likely to have settled down elsewhere, is difficult. About those difficulties, finding oneself and others (and love and work and ...) ... this is what this movie is about. It's mature in its thinking and might not be the entertainment some seek. But for what it is (and for the actors it has in it), it's really good.

It's not that much happens, but that is life (mostly, unless you are a special agent or whatnot). There is also nudity and god forbid intercourse. But there is also comedy and "betrayal" and situations you might encounter in life. And decisions ... decisions and more decisions! What is there in the end?

This film tells the story of a French man who moves to New York because his ex partner takes their two children there and remarry an American man.

The premise of the film is very interesting, as I haven't thought about how globalised we are. I've been taking weekend overseas breaks for granted, watching foreign films, listening to foreign songs, keeping on touch with foreign friends with much ease. And the film reminds us that life back then was not as complicated. The comedy aspect is done quite well, especially the immigration inspection scene which is quite funny. However, the film takes a long time to reach that comedy stage, and actually the first half of the film is rather boring. One thing I'm truly impressed by is Audrey Tautou's pronunciation of Mandarin Chinese. It's very clear that she took a lot of effort in learning the words, because she even got the tones of every character right!

It's very watchable and, at 7/10, a definite, must watch for people who like gentle human comedy. It loses on an 8+ score from being slightly disjointed.

For those that have seen the previous movies this will definitely be an 8+, though ...

For starters, Audrey Tautou finally appears for more than 5 minutes. Raomin is, at last, not cast as a brainlessly immature asshole - even though he remains a zanily unpredictable persona. Jill, erm Kelly, actually comes across as if she almost finally grew up. And Ju is as adorable as ever as the eternal mother figure.

Humorous sarcasm aside, this film has all the qualities of its predecessors in being utterly human in its portrayals of the characters and wittily, if somewhat cynically, insightful in its portrayal of their circumstances.

If you want to watch a film that makes you more inclined to like humanity than to hate it, then you will smile your way through this one.

It's a fun movie, with a great cast... don't even think about it, just watch and enjoy. It's mostly a foreign language film, but set mainly in New York City. And it really shows New York in a down to earth style that is real life and appealing. It's the kind of film that shows movie making does not have to be overly complicated and sensational. Just dealing with the real life stories of everyday people can be most enjoyable. There's probably not going to be a large audience for this film, and that's a shame, for most would wholeheartedly enjoy it. When you go to a movie theater in this country, this is not the type of film you are most likely going to the theater to see... but if you did, you'd probably enjoy it a lot more than a majority of the other junk that's on the marquee. And contrary to what she declares, it's always easier for most very beautiful women to be attracted to and 'fall-for' rich good looking men.. (while the ex winds up with poor cute Audrey..and two more kids).

I haven't seen the two previous movies by the same director and actors preceding this one, but all by itself I loved this one. It is funny, witty, interesting and unusual. I understand the previous two movies portrayed the lives of characters at an earlier age. Now they are around 40 years of age, they are in NYC and they have different set of problems. I participated in a Q&A with the director at the end of the movie and I understand what he is trying to portray is a generation of people who are more mobile, who aren't afraid of mixing with different cultures, live in different countries, deal with the challenges presented by this new country. Movie has a very very positive, upbeat look at things. And it is very refreshing to have this positive outlook considering how many movies feeds of drama and difficulties almost to a degree, which makes them unrealistic. Life is not so bad and things don't go that bad in real life. You might get lucky at things. This movie has a positive, realistic look at life. I could easily relate to it. Loved it, highly recommend it. Especially if you want to laugh a bit and feel good about life. And there is nothing wrong with that.

It's great even if you haven't seen the 2 first movies! But if you have, know that it brings you the same kind of lightness and fun. Makes you want to enjoy life to the fullest! Each character is perfectly built up, and you get attached to all of them (I feel like I know them personally and would happily move in with them!)

Of course, this movie builds up on the story that started 20 years earlier, so it's great to see how each of these people evolved, how life changes, and how it's still linked to the past. It's hard not to fall in love with these people! Each of the 3 movies happens in a totally different place. So let yourself be carried away!

Aside from Richard Linklater's incomparable Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy headed "Before ..." trilogy and Michael Apted's "Up" documentary series, it's rare to get the opportunity to reacquaint oneself with their most prized movie characters in the constraints of a timespan longer than two or three years. Because so many sequels prefer to act as a direct continuation of the movie they're following in the footsteps of, few count as being real reunions of sorts - it isn't until we meet characters again after a long period away that they begin to feel decidedly human. So maybe that's why I'm so fond of Cédric Klapisch's "Spanish Apartment" trilogy, which, for all intents and purposes, is a "Boyhood"-esque comedic saga that's followed the life of a Frenchman from his college years up until he's turned into a middle-aged divorcee at a crossroads. Beginning with 2002's near flawless "L'Auberge Espagnole," continuing unevenly with 2005's "Russian Dolls," and insightfully concluding with 2013's "Chinese Puzzle," it's an ode to the flawed poetry of growing older that finds much of its humor in the pains and the confusions of aging. While "L'Auberge Espagnole" remains to be the finest of the series - it's a lovely cinematic exemplification of the excitement that comes with being young - its older, more matured counterpart, "Chinese Puzzle," convincingly continues the quasi-franchise with charm more underlined in seriousness. The characters we've come to love over the the decade are suddenly aged, their decisions meaning more than ever. Situations bear more urgency than they have in the past, and, for once, a feeling hovers in the air that much is at stake. How couldn't things, anyway, when kids are involved, when jobs are on the line? In "Chinese Puzzle," the oftentimes misguided protagonist we've gotten to know through the years, Xavier (Romain Duris), is on the verge of losing everything he's come to understand about his life. His marriage to Wendy (Kelly Reilly), the woman he first met in "L'Auberge Espagnole," is divorcing him. He's just quit his job, which, after years of disaffection, has begun to become monotonous. His friends, all in their forties themselves, are sporadically placed across the globe and are much too fixated on their own lives to take his personal problems much to heart. Anyone in his shoes would perhaps be more adrift, more unsettled. But Xavier wears the self-possession of a man who sees opportunity in the midst of everything going awry, despite his near constant proclaiming that his life is a mess. The film then follows him as he makes the move from France to New York in an attempt to maintain a close relationship with his kids, and from there do we bask in the glory that is his unpredictable life, which is, like life itself, a magnificent series of complications. Because the tone is more wandering than by the numbers, "Chinese Puzzle" has a tendency to seem aimless, but since the characters, mostly comprised of familiar faces, are ones we've come to veritably adore over the years, seeing them continue to figure out their frenzied lives is an expected joy. The film is said to be the last of the sequence, but Klapisch, a filmmaker with a knack for conjoining the screwball and the heartfelt, leaves us wanting even more. "Chinese Puzzle" can be enjoyed as a standalone film, sure, but so likable is the Spanish Apartment trilogy that it's only natural to suggest going back and watching its predecessors before driving straight into it. Duris is a delight, his co-stars even better. Klapisch has satisfied without the iron grip of a conclusive finale, and the ostensible ambiguousness of "Chinese Puzzle" only heightens its persuasiveness.

A very fresh and current plot. With a lively back and forth between the first person's "off" thoughts and concrete dialogue between characters. The actors Duris and Tautou nail their papers, although it is not a job to highlight. The rest does well. In tune with its trilogy's predecessors ("L'auberge espagnole" and "The Russian Dolls") Kaplisch gives us a very entertaining, very fresh comedy with a seal undoubtedly French. This time, we see the characters through the crisis of the 40s (or late 30s). I think that Klapisch could very well summarize the "evils" afflicting this generation at this historic moment, resulting in a film that becomes very close, with situations that can happen to anyone and very relatable characters. OK, yes ....it's a little strange that everything happens to him, but I think the situations are very possible in the world today, and are synthesized in a character in a few months (allowed for the sake of comic effect) . With very funny moments and others flatter, I think achieves the goal. It is not an awesome movie, but recommended for a very pleasant time.

CASSE-TETE CHINOIS (Chinese Puzzle, 2013) is the third film in Cédrich Klapisch's series on globalization and growing older. It began with L'Auberge espagnole, which saw Xavier Rousseau (Romain Duris), a 25 year-old university student and aspiring writer, spending a wild year in Barcelona with other exchange students from throughout Europe. The second film Les poupées russes revisited Xavier as he turns 30 and has still not established a writing career or found a stable relationship. Its happy ending with Xavier settling down with former Erasmus companion Wendy (Kelly Reilly) seemed to augur well for the future.

But as Casse-Tete Chinois opens, we find that Xavier's relationship with Wendy collapsed ten years into their marriage. Wendy has left Paris for New York, where she has met another man, and takes their two children with her. Xavier follows them to New York to be closer to his children, but Wendy has turned cold and hostile. His lesbian pal Isabelle (Cécile de France) is also there, and Xavier has helped her and her lover have a child. On the threshold of 40, Xavier finds that his life is just as complicated as ever. The film follows Xavier adjusting to a new life in the United States, searching for a flat and a job, and dealing with a bitter custody battle. With all this on his plate, his old ex Martine (Andrey Tatou), now a import-export businesswoman dealing with organic products, drops in with her two children too.

In commenting on this series of films, Cédric Klapisch has said that he wants to capture the fact that Xavier's and younger generations are very mobile, and for them it's commonplace to go to another country to work/study or enter into a relationship with someone of a different nationality. Here this mobility is explored through several French people in New York, and New York with its wealth and myriad immigrant communities is treated as a very distinct place from the United States in general. Nothing at all is seen or heard of the Spanish flatmates from the first film, who at least got a bit part in the second film. I think that's rather a shame, we could have at least got a few lines of dialogue about how William (Kevin Bishop), whose marriage to a Russian woman was the whole setup for the second film, is getting on.

I enjoyed revisiting some of these characters again after nearly a decade, and Duris's acting is admirable: his Xavier remains the manchild we know and love, but he captures the impact of the years. Cécile de France is again so convincing in her role that one wonders if she really is like this in real life. The script, however, strikes me as rather weak. There's a strange side plot of adultery, where a character appallingly cheats on their lover and the other characters hardly object, and it ends up with almost the exact same scene of everyone racing to an apartment to warn the trysting pair as in the first film.

Still, the series as a whole remains worth seeing and an important commentary on the contemporary world. I hope Klapisch will continue Xavier's story in a few more years.

"Xavier" (Roman Duris) is maybe not the most reliable of husbands, but I did feel a little sorry for him when wife "Wendy" (Kelly Reilly) decides that she wishes to relocate to the United States, and to take their two children with her. Bluntly, she doesn't really care whether he likes it or not. She's met a new man "John" (Peter Hermann) and is going regardless. Surprisingly for him, this really focusses his priories as he realises that he doesn't want to live without them, so he follows suit. He ends up living in New York's Chinatown where he has to try and sort out a job, accommodation and a lawyer for his impending divorce. What now ensues sees this well meaning but hapless fellow leap from the frying pan to the fire on countless occasions. He even manages to get himself embroiled in a marriage of convenience for a couple of lesbians, is on the wrong visa and a reuniting with "Martine" (Audrey Tautou) is only going to further complicate this already messy scenario. Duris is good with these sorts of roles. The lightly comedic, slightly daft character who is usually always reacting to a shambles of his own making, lurching from one mistake to another whilst genuinely trying to be decent and helpful. There's a fun scene in the sperm donating room - you can just use your imagination for that! Tautou always reminds me of Audrey Helpburn - and here, though she doesn't feature so prominently, she owns her scenes - especially those she delivers in Mandarin. There's also an enjoyable dynamic coming from Sandrine Holt ("Ju") and "Isabelle" (Cécile de France) as they all try to stay one step ahead of the savvy immigration inspector (Peter McRobbie) and the thing builds to a denouement that might also have worked well for Peter Sellers. We could possibly condense the first fifteen minutes a little, but otherwise this is an entertaining middle-age crisis romp that I quite enjoyed.

Cedric Klapisch's final movie in his trilogy comes to an end with "Chinese Puzzle". As a fan of the first two films I was amused to watch the third one and witness the complexities in the life of Xavier Russo (Romain Duris).

Unlike the first movie "The Spanish Apartment" which I really enjoyed and empathize with, the second and third films were harder to find common ground with. Xavier and his friends are older, moved on and all became family people. Most teens would have likely preferred to empathize with the younger Xavier and his friends: Students figuring themselves, dealing with subjects such as love, drugs, family and studies.

That is why I feel The Spanish Apartment was a better film than the rest, it just clicked better with younger audience. The other two films speak of more mature issues, more complexities in life as you grow older.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed this film as well, Xavier having to across the planet to be with his children, at the same time dealing with his love life and Novel he's writing are all nice plot points related to life that people can relay to them.

Okay, only on reading the reviews did I realise this was part of a trilogy.I happened upon this film by chance as a standalone and as such it did brilliantly. The fact it is part of a series but still works on it's own is even better. I now want to see the previous two.

Chinese Puzzle is a puzzle; intricate interlocking of lives and people across the globe representing very clearly life today. Few of us live uncomplicated lives in one place. Few of us don't experience tribulation, mistakes or good things going pear-shaped. Enter (or re-enter) Romaine Duris, the affable and Joe-next-door Frenchman Xavier. I don't recall ever seeing this actor before and immediately liked his natural and naive portrayal of his character. He was totally real and in the moment. Social commentary, light humour and charming story this is the film Parenthood or Object of My Affection for the current decade demonstrating that families aren't just immediate blood relations anymore and fate often lends a helping hand. Cecile De France was gorgeous lesbian BFF, lovely Audrey Tautou the ex-amour and Kelly Reilly the estranged wife between which our Xavier has to negotiate. Throw in modern real life issues, a little Shakespearean farce, some sexy scenes, flowery language and some out-of-the-spotlight parts of NYC and you've got yourself this divinely European/New York comedy. Not hilarious, or much laugh out loud, but certainly entertaining and gripping and feel good. It leaves you wanting more. This film has subtitles and adult themes.

This movie really surprised me. Having loved L'AUBERGE ESPAGNOLE and connecting with the characters and then re-connecting with them in fun- filled Russian DOLLS, I was expecting the third film to slowly wind down their stories. After all, the characters are boring grown ups now, with kids and responsibilities, so how much more fun can they be. But to my surprise, this film was just as much fun, was just as full of joy and energy as the first films,

Having lived a life pretty close to the age of these characters, I felt an even deeper connection with these characters in this film. True, their lives have become much more complicated, but their stories have become richer, their worldview bigger and their lives deeper and so much more meaningful. Klapisch uses many of the same devices, many similar situations that made the first films memorable, but because the central characters are now so well fleshed out, we journey with these characters as fellow travelers, not only thru New York City (as we did in Barcelona and St. Petersburg) but thru life.

I hope this is not the end of the series. It would be a wonderful to travel to more places with these characters and wonder where Klapisch will take them (and us) next.

It is the third and final movie of the 'Spanish Apartment' trilogy. The story of a middle aged father and his care for his children make him to pick a challenged life ahead. The initial parts were very slow, I feel you need to be a patience. While progressing, the story development turns to be a gripping. Afterwards it gets bigger with introducing more characters and that makes a widely open story that can travel any direction. That mean definitely not easy to predict the end. I am glad that I saw it and you should not miss this trilogy, one of the best drama-romedy series ever told.

The 40 years old divorced Xavier aim to follow his ex path to the New York to be staying close to his children. He makes it and one of his old friends who has settled in New York helps him to find an apartment. He finds a decent job and having everything going stable, his ex allows to share the his part being a parent. The time and days moving rapidly, the trouble approaches him because his stay is limited as he came on a tourist visa. His trouble doubles and he must overcome soon with a solution. Besides, reuniting with his other old friend and affair are the other side of the tale that uncovers.

''Those tiny initials in the sidewalk held a kind of fundamental proof that my birth wasn't a total accident.''

Once again the director's favorite actor Roman Duris appeared for a wonderful role and he did not disappoint. He is one of my favorites from French films, maybe because I liked most of his movies. His performance was amazing like always and definitely he was the center of attraction in this film. It was about the three things, being a father, immigrant and kind of love rectangle. As he (Roman Duris) was divorced, but being a father of two young children his responsibility is to give them love and care. Especially not to discard them like his father did for him. So he's ready to give up anything in the world. The love rectangle was not exactly a fight over each other. It was cleverly briefed, very modern with the understanding kind of relationship. This is what the movie impresses very much, the shuffled characters with one man at the center.

The last 20-25 minutes was so good, the pace accelerates along the crucial portions which gives thrilling pleasure. My rating varied from the lower to the higher while watching this movie in each section till it went to the last part. So felt keeping calm all the way paid off with a great pleasure. I have seen few French movies of 2013 and this one is one of the best. It was about everything, like, a little meaningful about being a parent, humors, thrill scenes, finding love and affections, friendship. And again, I am saying that it is worth a lot to try at once.

The main characters in the story live fairly hectic lives, punctuated by small incidents that seem serious at first moment, but turn out to be overcome in a second moment. They never lose the enthusiasm to face the challenges that arise along the way. Xavier is a guy at the same time: (1) complicated in what is happening in his head, (2) spontaneous in his reactions face to adversities that arise on his way, and finally (3) a guy who has a good heart. His good heart attracts the sympathy of people he encounters in his life and the love of a few. The outcome of this story is very optimistic. Maybe even too optimistic. This makes the film conveys optimism and cheerfulness and is why it deserves to be seen.

I've seen this movie yesterday and was disappointed. Especially since I really liked the first and second prequel. I am always turned off by a movie that is badly edited, badly scripted and does not really have a good story to tell. If one keeps close attention one will notice many illogical situations. Not everything needs to be logical in a movie but it is better not that obvious. For example, I encourage everybody to keep a close look for pregnant and non-pregnant women, for the main doors to the houses when children's are picked up and delivered, and for some awful dialog when somebody reveals "something very personal" nobody cares about. There is much more like this. This movie could easily feature as a bad TV soap opera. Just see for yourself. The only thing that kept me in the movie theater were a few scenes that are really funny and some camera work for which movies by Cédric Klapisch are famous for. By the way, the music is excellent.

So I've reached the conclusion of Cédric Klapisch's trilogy, following the dramatic and rocky love stories of Xavier's life and his circle of multicultural friends. Watching these films back to back, it's been quite a ride. Xavier... still Romain Duris (I'm impressed that Klapisch keeps managing to get the same actors back over a decade). He's now 40 and life hasn't got any simpler. As he says "Most people go from point A to point B. Not me. I have a point B problem". This coming from Xavier in the opening scenes sums up the whole film, it's all about introspection. He has two children now, but isn't with their mother, Wendy. I'm not really surprised, but find myself really upset for them. I also think I might have a crush on Kelly Reilly who plays Wendy, but let's not get into that. He's not with Wendy anymore for probably many reasons, but one being him helping his friend Isabelle (Cécile de France) have a baby with her girlfriend. Wendy takes off to New York with her new lover, forcing Xavier who's career in Paris is just starting to flourish, to leave and stay close to his children. Heartbreaking stuff. That's the point of Xavier's journey though, right from the start. Being uprooted, taking risks. New York is often depicted on film as vibrant, exciting, but after we've been in Paris, Barcelona, London, St. Petersburg on this odyssey... the Big Apple seems less of a warm hug and more of an aggressor. Xavier doesn't take well to it. Usually stumbling freely through cities. This one gives him a real culture shock. I get it, this is the heavy film. Child custody, divorce. Where better than the cesspit of lawyers that is New York. That's not to say this isn't fun. The edit is fast and quirky, sticking to its 90s roots, but Xavier isn't in a happy place. Despite Isabelle's partner Ju renting him her old apartment and John, Wendy's new bloke being really very nice. On a temporary visa, Xavier is on borrowed time. Working illegally, writing his book... which is essentially the screenplay of this film. He needs to find something to anchor him... he always needs something to anchor him. We've often thought that could be Martine (Audrey Tautou) who's still on the scene. It's notable that whenever she pops up in these films, she commands the screen, effortlessly rendering all other sub plots unimportant. She's magnetic... but is she the one? Nancy (Li Jun Li) isn't , daughter of a taxi driver he saved from a beating with a baseball bat... New York offers a whole new level of complicated doesn't it. She though is going to be his bride and a ticket for citizenship. Duris is brilliant throughout. Brilliant throughout all three films. The entire cast are. It's a lovely trilogy, full of all the ups and downs of life. Although the heights of the first film are never quite recaptured, together they make a great set and this film is a fitting finale.