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I very much enjoyed this delightfully unusual film. The French are noted for their style, their self-assurance, their savoir-faire and savoir-vivre, and French films from Rohmer to Sautet present us with a world of elegance, intelligence, and charm. The inner angst of this world is normally shown in dramas like Un Coeur en Hiver or Une Femme Française, and there is no question that the French are, in fact, very self-aware and conscious of their own limitations. Portraits Chinois, however, uses humour and wit to convey the inner lives of its characters, their fantasies, the lies they tell themselves, and the ways in which they resolve their (mainly romantic) dilemmas. There isn't a false note anywhere, and there are several very fine performances, among which Helena Bonham-Carter's stands out. Her French is nothing less than flawless. It's just the sort of film that is worth re-watching once one knows how their stories pan out. The reviewer who thought it was awful rubbish obviously hasn't watched much French cinema.
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