Faubourg 36

I loved it! Boz Luhrmann meets Cinema Paradiso in numerous ways. The plot is simple, as others here have already described. But it retains an abundance of charm. The undercurrents of antisemitism and fascism that were persistent in 1936 France are themes rarely seen on screen. Ditto for the Communist workers' movement during the same time. The clashes between these two groups were inevitable, and this film depicts that struggle brilliantly, without preaching to us or hitting us over the head with it. All the acting, singing and dancing are extremely well-done, and the cinematography, while Luhrmann-esquire is engaging. Best of all perhaps is the music. This film is destined to be a classic, and will always be on my favorites list. The only thing I would change is that I would retain the original title. The audience for this film is sophisticated enough to handle it.

Nora Arnezeder reminds me of movie stars of the thirties : beautiful, charming, she can sing, dance, act... Star quality ! As for the film itself, the story is rather simple, which I come to realize, is often what makes it good. It's not so much what the story is about but rather how you tell it. And in that case, you get to laugh, cry, you care about that Pigoil who looses his job, his wife and even his son and who doesn't lose hope, about Milou and Douce's love story. You'll love the great new songs, the homage to Busby Berkeley, Jacky's lousy jokes (a reprise of Kad's own TV skit) and secondary characters played by first-rate comedians like François Morel and the great Pierre Richard. What's not to like ?

If this film had been produced 60 to 70 years ago,it probably would have been directed by Jean Renoir and starred Jean Gabin as one of the central figures. 'Faubourg 36' (or as it is being distributed in English speaking countries as 'Paris 36')is a film that takes place in Paris, just before world war 2,when political tensions were at a boiling point between left leaning French & their ultra conservative right wing counterpoint (which would eventually embrace the Nazi party in Germany,especially when Hitler marched into Paris in the 1940's). A (failing)theatrical troupe,bent on preserving their beloved theater tries to pull things back together,they get support from some of the locals (including an alleged Communist,who claims he was in the Red Brigade in Russia),a young lass trying to break into the singing profession,a (mostly)unfunny comic & enough well meaning persons to try and bring things together. A corrupt local political figure,who wants to do little more than bring the ruination of the theater also looms. The film is complimented by a cracker jack cast of French professionals who turn in a splendid job of acting. The screenplay, although something of an overstuffed sandwich of sorts,is still well played out. The film features several songs,most of which are performed by the cast,themselves. At times,this film has a Busby Berkley feel to it (which is not a bad thing). In French with English subtitles. Rated PG-13 by the MPAA,this film contains a bit of rude language,some suggestive material that parents of very young children may not appreciate,and some violence (but nothing too gory that could disturb some sensitive audiences). Well worth a look.

Go to IMDb.com and enter the title: "Paris 36" and what do you get?... VOILA! "Faubourg 36"! Therein lies the problem: Apparently, someone set out to make one movie...and ended up making a completely different one! This bizarre Paris/Faubourg dichotomy plagues the movie throughout, but particularly during the last half!

"Paris" did, however, get off to a relatively good start...Showing a lot of promise, in a number of different areas: The inter-action between lead characters seemed brisk and focused; the sets had a very authentic mid-30's Paris look and feel; Music that had just the right mix of melancholy, nostalgia and pre-war glibness and sung with just the right inflection and ring; and different back stories...But it all started sputtering about half way through. The last half was a total mess. Absolutely nothing worked! I can't imagine what was going though Writer/Director Christophe Barratier's mind, as he pressed on with this project!

As "Paris" progressed, the characters' actions became constantly more erratic, unpredictable and demonstrated a continually escalating degree of incongruity with the personality and motives of each character. Protagonists capriciously waltzed in and out of the movie, with little or no explanation. Because of this, the last half of "Paris" takes on a dues ex machine tainted storyline much more akin to a fairy tale or the romantic daydreams of a 14 year-old Parisian girl. 2**

This movie was a surprising little gem. I knew nothing about it and went with some friends yesterday on a whim. It was beautifully photographed and the rendition of 1936 Paris seemed quite authentic. The costumes were exquisite, the story is engaging, and of all the characters were genuine. The scenes in the theater left me smelling the greasepaint

I think this movie captured me because I was once heavily involved in local, amateur theater where we knocked ourselves out putting on shows just for the fun of it. I could identify with these characters struggling to eke out a living and dreaming of fame and success. The contrast of such joyous activities and the hopes of Pigoil, Douce and Jacky, amongst others against those dark times in Europe gives this movie a wonderful, entertaining balance.

It is well worth seeing.