Written by Jesus Figueroa
@ThisFunktional
Director/Screenwriter/Producer Nicola Rose does a magnificent job of capturing attention through slight comedy, beautiful bilingual conversations, and a cute romantic story.
@ThisFunktional
Director/Screenwriter/Producer Nicola Rose does a magnificent job of capturing attention through slight comedy, beautiful bilingual conversations, and a cute romantic story.
Claire, played by Lizzie Kehoe, is a bit of an oddball: a romantic, a puppeteer, and a fish out of water at college.
Kehoe shines with a fabulous portrayal of Claire. A soft naïveté and curiosity capture the audience and have them wanting her to succeed through out.
Writer-director Rose was able to capture Kehoe in such a manner where her beauty is an accent to the wonderful character. The strength and potential of Claire are exposed in small glimpses even at the beginning where the story seems to beat the character down.
After one appalling class too many, and following a chance meeting with Thibault, played by Thomas Vieljeux, a French figure skater at the end of his career, she is inspired to make a move.
Viejeux has a great look which with his nonchalant attitude make Thibault a good fit to play along side Claire.
Claire allows her crazy, rich best friend Julia, played by Casey Landman, convince her to move from New York to Paris.
Landman captures an oblivious mentality which makes Julia both annoying yet enjoyable.
Once in Paris, the starry-eyed Claire meet Thibault again and they embark on a unique project together with her puppets. However, the romantic idea of creative nirvana is constantly thwarted by obstinate French bureaucrats, her job as a nanny for a horrible Parisian family, her penchant for embarrassing herself in front of Thibault, as well as the frustratingly toxic relationship she has also managed to land herself.
The story seamlessly moves through obstacles that audiences can relate to. The writing for this story is marvelous as these characters are complex and have multiple layers to them. Each character evolves, adapts, and the audience are easily able to follow through each story.
Claire’s Paris is less a personal renaissance and more a relentless series of faux pas. In the end, she will have to figure out that to find her happiness, she will need to figure out how to put herself first and listen to her own unique, silly, and beautiful heart.
While the story is beautifully presented, the acting looks so natural, and the structure keeps the story moving forward in a steady pace, the story arcs mesh together to create a full story where each main character presents a full story of their own.
The use of English and French gives the feel of a foreign film, even as audiences do not need to know French to fully enjoy the film.
The mixture of French adds a nice romantic feel and at times a comedic element which would not be possible without the inclusion of a second language.
This movie is a joy to watch. Visually it’s incredible, the acting is well done, and the story progresses fantastically as to not rush through the story and not bore by dragging on too long.
Available on line at:Amazon Bitly: https://amzn.to/3v5tKks
Google Play Bitly: https://bit.ly/PetrushkaonGoogle
YouTube Bitly: https://bit.ly/PetrushkaonYouTube
Watch @ThisFunktional chat with GOODBYE, PETRUSHKA’s Writer-Director Nicola Rose:
