saturday rain, and a character study

having finally caught up on sleep, i wake up to Saturday, and it's raining out. very lovely, although spring is taking its toll on me and i long for sunshine.

staying in, i really feel like watching Paris, a 2008 film of different lives in the City of Love that intertwine. ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS FILM. these films work so well with urban lives, how a place so grand and known is taken in context of individual little lives, ones that each make up the identity of that city, in this case Paris. i don't know, but portmanteau films just work for me and pulls at my heartstrings, reminding me that everyone lives a different, but extraordinary life.

one of my favorite characters is in this film. Laetita is a young college student in Paris, played by Mélanie Laurent, a beautiful French actress and director. even though i question Laetitia's moves and reasons behind her dating two men at the same time (especially her own French History professor probably 40 years her senior), she has an interesting story to her that i can identify with, for lack of better words.

a typical college girl having fun and doing her own thing, just living life and giving herself thrills and seeing which paths she can go down. i wouldn't say she's a slut, but quite manipulative, especially since she knows she's pretty. and she uses it to her advantage. at one point Pierre, the protagonist at the center of the film, living on the sidelines observing everyday life from his apartment while he waits for a heart transplant surgery to fall through, notes that the citizens of Paris "don't know how lucky they are, walking, breathing, running... Carefree in Paris..." just lucky to be living, and not have to face an uncertain future like he shall.

i'm not too sure about Laetitia though. her story playing out in the film, into the last scene where she's at a cafe with her boyfriend and looks out to the window at Pierre in the taxi, she's just going with things as life gives them to her. she doesn't seem to neglect anything, she tries everything. even when she calls it off with her professor Roland, it's not cause she's out to be a heartbreaker-- he just really wasn't who she thought she wanted, to me. sometimes things in life work, and sometimes to your dismay they don't,

but you're sure glad it was there and you gave it a go. she's an interesting character, and ways the typical college student just finding herself and getting on with life and finding that right direction-- not to mention, i really love her simple but chic style and fresh natural look with minimal makeup. it's very confident, and that's exactly who she is.




i highly recommend Paris, a well-written and captivating film that reminds viewers to step back and look out to everyone's lives, and above all else admire what's going on in yours.