L'Appartement
Encyclopedia
L'Appartement is a 1996 French film
directed by Gilles Mimouni
and starring Vincent Cassel
, Monica Bellucci
and Romane Bohringer
.
) is a former bohemian and an amateur writer who gets a job in New York and leaves his girlfriend Lisa, who he was madly in love with, in mysterious circumstances. After two years, he returns home to Paris and decides to settle down and get married to a French girl called Muriel. By chance, he catches a glimpse of his lost love, Lisa (Monica Bellucci
) in a cafe but fails to make contact before she storms out. Determined to meet her, Max secretly cancels his business trip abroad to pursue his lost love. Through a series of ruses and perseverance, he enters Lisa's apartment. Hearing that somebody else has arrived, he hides in her wardrobe.
First he thinks it is Lisa as the girl who came to the apartment resembles Lisa from behind. After several misunderstandings they finally got acquainted. The girl introduces herself as Lisa. Eventually the same night they make love and later on their relationships starts to develop. The girl's real name is Alice (Romane Bohringer
). During the film, flashbacks are intertwined with the narrative to provide the background for Max, Lisa and especially for Alice, shedding light on the situation.
Apparently Alice and Lisa were best friends, but Alice grew obsessed with Max from a distance. She restyled herself to look like Lisa while secretly engineering a breakup between them. Lisa is a stage actress and leaves for a two-month tour and gives Alice a letter to send to Max asking him to wait for her; Alice never sends the letter. Max, believing Lisa left because she didn't love him, accepts a job in New York and leaves. Upon her return, Lisa is heartbroken Max left her and leaves on a cruise to ease her mind, where she meets a rich, married older man named Daniel.
Lisa is being pursued by Daniel, who might have murdered his wife to get closer to her. For this reason, she avoids her flat and lets Alice use it. To complicate matters further, Alice is dating Max's best friend, Lucien, who acts as the confidant for Max.
Eventually, the truth begins to unravel in front of everyone's eyes, leading to dramatic and life-changing consequences for all involved.
In a sub-plot. Alice is seen to be acting in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, drawing comparisons between the four lovers in the film to those in Shakespeare, and it is arguable that the whole film is a rendition of the play. The film begins and ends in "reality" where Max and Muriel have a world weary but sensible life in high finance (and the implication is that Muriel is the boss's daughter, thus intimating Egeus' involvement in Hermia's marriage to Demetrius), but almost all the action takes place in a dreamlike trance where the lovers don't really know who they love. Lucien is always faithful to Alice, and pursues her, but both Alice and Lisa (who, as their names imply, are reflections of each other) initially both love Max, and Max, although madly in love with Lisa, turns to Alice after reading her diary, just before reality dawns and he accepts his fate with Muriel. Alice leaves her life behind and flies to Rome, bidding Max one last farewell glance as he embraces Muriel at the airport. Lisa returns to her apartment and is confronted by Daniel, who drops a lighter on the floor (covered in gasoline) causing the apartment to explode and blowing Lucien through the window of a cafe across the street. The similarity with Demetrius, Helena, Hermia and Lysander is striking.
The film was also a modest Box Office hit in France gaining 55,565 admissions its opening weekend and 152,714 admissions total. As well as in other parts of Europe such a s in the Netherlands where it gained 30,164 admissions. Although the film was never released theatrically in the United States it was released on DVD on August 22, 2006.
The film was remade in the USA as Wicker Park
in 2004.
Cinema of France
The Cinema of France comprises the art of film and creative movies made within the nation of France or by French filmmakers abroad.France is the birthplace of cinema and was responsible for many of its early significant contributions. Several important cinematic movements, including the Nouvelle...
directed by Gilles Mimouni
Gilles Mimouni
Gilles Mimouni is a French film director. To date, his only directorial credit is the feature film L'Appartement - a tense romantic thriller starring Vincent Cassel, Monica Bellucci, and Romane Bohringer, although he acted as executive producer for its U.S remake Wicker Park .- External links :...
and starring Vincent Cassel
Vincent Cassel
Vincent Cassel is a Cesar award winning French actor probably best known to English-speaking audiences through his performances in the Ocean's Trilogy of films and Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan.-Personal life:...
, Monica Bellucci
Monica Bellucci
Monica Anna Maria Bellucci is an Italian actress and fashion model.-Early life:Bellucci was born in Città di Castello, Umbria, Italy as the only child of Luigi Bellucci, who was born in the British protectorate of Zanzibar, East Pakistan...
and Romane Bohringer
Romane Bohringer
Romane Bohringer is a French actress, film director, screenwriter and costume designer. She is the daughter of Richard Bohringer and sister of Lou Bohringer. Her parents named her after Roman Polanski....
.
Plot
Max (Vincent CasselVincent Cassel
Vincent Cassel is a Cesar award winning French actor probably best known to English-speaking audiences through his performances in the Ocean's Trilogy of films and Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan.-Personal life:...
) is a former bohemian and an amateur writer who gets a job in New York and leaves his girlfriend Lisa, who he was madly in love with, in mysterious circumstances. After two years, he returns home to Paris and decides to settle down and get married to a French girl called Muriel. By chance, he catches a glimpse of his lost love, Lisa (Monica Bellucci
Monica Bellucci
Monica Anna Maria Bellucci is an Italian actress and fashion model.-Early life:Bellucci was born in Città di Castello, Umbria, Italy as the only child of Luigi Bellucci, who was born in the British protectorate of Zanzibar, East Pakistan...
) in a cafe but fails to make contact before she storms out. Determined to meet her, Max secretly cancels his business trip abroad to pursue his lost love. Through a series of ruses and perseverance, he enters Lisa's apartment. Hearing that somebody else has arrived, he hides in her wardrobe.
First he thinks it is Lisa as the girl who came to the apartment resembles Lisa from behind. After several misunderstandings they finally got acquainted. The girl introduces herself as Lisa. Eventually the same night they make love and later on their relationships starts to develop. The girl's real name is Alice (Romane Bohringer
Romane Bohringer
Romane Bohringer is a French actress, film director, screenwriter and costume designer. She is the daughter of Richard Bohringer and sister of Lou Bohringer. Her parents named her after Roman Polanski....
). During the film, flashbacks are intertwined with the narrative to provide the background for Max, Lisa and especially for Alice, shedding light on the situation.
Apparently Alice and Lisa were best friends, but Alice grew obsessed with Max from a distance. She restyled herself to look like Lisa while secretly engineering a breakup between them. Lisa is a stage actress and leaves for a two-month tour and gives Alice a letter to send to Max asking him to wait for her; Alice never sends the letter. Max, believing Lisa left because she didn't love him, accepts a job in New York and leaves. Upon her return, Lisa is heartbroken Max left her and leaves on a cruise to ease her mind, where she meets a rich, married older man named Daniel.
Lisa is being pursued by Daniel, who might have murdered his wife to get closer to her. For this reason, she avoids her flat and lets Alice use it. To complicate matters further, Alice is dating Max's best friend, Lucien, who acts as the confidant for Max.
Eventually, the truth begins to unravel in front of everyone's eyes, leading to dramatic and life-changing consequences for all involved.
In a sub-plot. Alice is seen to be acting in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, drawing comparisons between the four lovers in the film to those in Shakespeare, and it is arguable that the whole film is a rendition of the play. The film begins and ends in "reality" where Max and Muriel have a world weary but sensible life in high finance (and the implication is that Muriel is the boss's daughter, thus intimating Egeus' involvement in Hermia's marriage to Demetrius), but almost all the action takes place in a dreamlike trance where the lovers don't really know who they love. Lucien is always faithful to Alice, and pursues her, but both Alice and Lisa (who, as their names imply, are reflections of each other) initially both love Max, and Max, although madly in love with Lisa, turns to Alice after reading her diary, just before reality dawns and he accepts his fate with Muriel. Alice leaves her life behind and flies to Rome, bidding Max one last farewell glance as he embraces Muriel at the airport. Lisa returns to her apartment and is confronted by Daniel, who drops a lighter on the floor (covered in gasoline) causing the apartment to explode and blowing Lucien through the window of a cafe across the street. The similarity with Demetrius, Helena, Hermia and Lysander is striking.
Cast
- Vincent CasselVincent CasselVincent Cassel is a Cesar award winning French actor probably best known to English-speaking audiences through his performances in the Ocean's Trilogy of films and Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan.-Personal life:...
as Max - Monica BellucciMonica BellucciMonica Anna Maria Bellucci is an Italian actress and fashion model.-Early life:Bellucci was born in Città di Castello, Umbria, Italy as the only child of Luigi Bellucci, who was born in the British protectorate of Zanzibar, East Pakistan...
as Lisa - Romane BohringerRomane BohringerRomane Bohringer is a French actress, film director, screenwriter and costume designer. She is the daughter of Richard Bohringer and sister of Lou Bohringer. Her parents named her after Roman Polanski....
as Alice - Jean-Philippe Écoffey as Lucien
- Sandrine KiberlainSandrine KiberlainSandrine Kiberlain is a French actress and singer. She has often worked with the director Laetitia Masson, and has also worked with Benoît Jacquot.Kiberlain received the Prix Romy Schneider in 1995...
as Muriel - Olivier Granier as Daniel
Reception
The film has generally been received positively by critics who praised it for its complex plot and stylish direction.The film was also a modest Box Office hit in France gaining 55,565 admissions its opening weekend and 152,714 admissions total. As well as in other parts of Europe such a s in the Netherlands where it gained 30,164 admissions. Although the film was never released theatrically in the United States it was released on DVD on August 22, 2006.
The film was remade in the USA as Wicker Park
Wicker Park (film)
Wicker Park is a 2004 American psychological drama/romantic mystery film directed by Paul McGuigan and starring Josh Hartnett. The film is a remake of the 1996 French movie L'Appartement...
in 2004.