‘L’appartement‘ (1996) is a special film from many points of view. Young people’s love intrigues, especially those set in Paris, were among the favorite subjects of French filmmakers in the 90s. ‘L’appartement‘ would belong to this category describing the relationships between two men and two women between the ages of 20 and 30, but it wraps everything up in a very well written mystery plot à la Hitchcock. The main crime, however, is not violent. It’s more about the destruction of a love relationship, and the mobile is another love – passionate enough to be harmful. And if all this doesn’t sound interesting and sophisticated enough, the plot of the story is borrowed from Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. The script and direction belong to Gilles Mimouni and ‘L’appartement‘ was the first and only feature film he directed. He also participated as a co-screenwriter and producer in the making a few years later of the American remake of ‘Wicker Park’ and … that’s about it. Why? Perhaps the profession of architect offered him more creative challenges than the world of film? Another mystery about this movie that is so different.
The story takes place in two temporal planes developed in parallel. Two years ago, Max and Lisa lived a beautiful love story that was interrupted, maybe because a series of broken communications, as we are in the last decade without mobile phones and instant messaging. What is the role played by Alice, Lisa’s friend, the messenger who watched them voyeuristically from her window in the front wing of the U-shaped building where the young lovers’ apartment was located? Is Max’s best friend Lucien involved? Two years later, Max – turned businessman and on the verge of a socially well-placed marriage – seems to find Lisa again. Did their love last? Max abandons everything to look for her, but instead of Lisa he stumbles upon Alice. She, also in love with Max, has a chance to replace the fascinating Lisa?
Max and Lisa are played by Vincent Cassel and Monica Monica Bellucci, a fascinating on-screen couple who would become a real-life couple for the next 15 years after meeting on the set of this production. All the more remarkable is the acting achievement of omane Bohringer who manages to overshadow his famous partners and make of Alice the key character of the plot. Jean-Philippe Écoffey – a lesser-known actor but very suitable here – completes the quartet. Also appearing in the cast is Sandrine Kiberlain, another actress I like a lot, but who here has a role far below her huge potential. ‘L’appartement‘ has a very well-written script that keeps the viewers’ attention permanently and an ending that I think satisfies most people. It is one of the good French films of the 90s.