Just a Sigh

Two strangers exchange glances on a train traveling to Paris. Alix, an actress at a provincial theater, is nervous about an upcoming film casting in Paris. Her boyfriend isn’t answering his phone, she finds herself on the street without her cell, her credit card isn’t working, and to make matters worse she gets in an argument with her sister. As she wanders the streets aimlessly, she unexpectedly runs into the stranger from the train. This time around, she decides to give chance a little help. This is not the first movie to explore a sudden passion that both parties realize has no future, yet still do nothing to resist. But this time around, our focus is primarily on the woman: although Alix has romantic ideas about acting and love, both her feet are planted firmly on the ground; in a critical moment, she knows what’s important to her. Nevertheless, the experience of brief intimacy in a hotel room, when the accidental lovers share their long-hidden secrets, seems to bring her liberation and give her new strength. Actress Emmanuelle Devos lends Alix her radiant natural beauty and expertly expresses her character’s energy, as well as moments of helplessness and hesitation. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)