Rue des Plaisirs

Set in 1940s Paris, Rue des plaisirs tells the story of young man born to a prostitute: Petit Louis (Patrick Timsit).  He is raised in the renowned Oriental Palace brothel and becomes the house’s handyman.   Louis falls in love with new arrival Marion (played by supermodel Laetitia Casta).  Although his affections are not reciprocated, Louis dedicates himself to Marion’s happiness, assisting both her professional dream of becoming a music-hall singer and her romantic trysts with the mysterious Dimitri (Vincent Elbaz).

Unfortunately, Dimitri turns out to be a small-time crook wanted by gangsters, whose troubles will inevitably engulf both Marion and Louis.

Patrice Leconte’s assured film encapsulates numerous concerns and qualities of the veteran director’s previous work, with thrills and intrigue (Monsieur Hire), romantic complexity (The Hairdresser’s Husband) and historical setting (Ridicule) all converging in the Rue des plaisirs.