L’Appartement

Gilles Mimouni’s cult debut feature proves a wonderful platform for some of the most exciting, talented and sexy French stars of the 90s.

Max is a happy young man, who is about to get married. Before a trip to Tokyo on business, Max overhears the voice of a woman he believes to be his former girlfriend Lisa. Memories of his past love overwhelm him and he tracks down her flat only to find another woman, also by the name of Lisa, living there. Thinking he made a simple mistake, matters are complicated when Max discovers a pair of red shoes he gave to Lisa to just before their break-up...

A modest success upon its release, L’Appartement has built up a merited following and plaudits since. Mimouni’s film is a breath of fresh air, brimming with originality in all aspects.

With the conceit of a romantic comedy, the plot unravels like a thriller worthy of Hitchcock. The stories of five separate characters interweave with complexity and skill, resulting in a breath-taking denouement, which takes the spectator wholly by surprise.
Mimouni dexterously proffers an intricate tableau of love and memory; demonstrating how we are subject to forces of feeling and chance, which plunge us into inscrutable situations and obscured states.

The ingenious script is matched by the deft use of flash-back, innovative camerawork and a hypnotic score, which fashions a new perspective on the photogenic French capital.

Against this backdrop is an equally watchable cast. Following La Haine, Vincent Cassel signals his talents as a leading man and a prestigious path ahead. The resplendent Monica Bellucci is a captivating presence throughout the film, even when off camera. (Cassel and Bellucci began their A-list romance during the shoot). Romane Bohringer (Les Nuits fauves), Sandrine Kimberlain (A Self Made Hero) and Jean-Philippe (Ma Vie en rose) complete this talented cast of young French actors who marked the 90s and have continued into successful careers since.

Intelligent, funny and compelling, L’Appartement is a significant piece of contemporary French cinema.