Shadow Play

A romantic, droll comedy set in the Parisian worlds of fashion and movie production where the players are always in search of that one true love while coping with the demands of their jobs. The film focuses on a character group of film production people, featuring costume designers Ada (Helena Bonham Carter) and Lise (Romane Bohringer), famous designer Rene Sandre (Jean-Claude Brialy), Agnes (Sophie Simon), screenwriters Paul (Jean-Philippe Ecoffey) and Guido (Sergio Castellito), director Yves (Yvan Attal) and his wife Nina (Marie Trintignant), producer Alphonse (Miki Manojlovic) and Emma (Elsa Zylberstein). All are in flux as they pursue their careers and their loves in this character study

As Ada, Bonham Carter plays a British designer who lives across the channel and portrays a woman who is of good humour, but heartsick over her relationship to boyfriend Paul. His writing partner Gudio's love life is forlorn at best. Meantime, Lise meets Alphonse, the director who is disillusioned with his girlfriend. Though he is old enough to be her father, Lise is charmed and decides to pursue a secret relationship with him. What she doesn't realize is that he has a desire to be with just about every woman he meets.

The film takes place over a course of two years and the layers unfold progressively. It's a comedy that is much more understated than that of Woody Allen, whose earlier films with large ensembles can be compared. All the subtleties of the film may not be apparent after you first view it, but this is film that pretty much demands a repeated session. The story stays with and will further reveal its charms as you watch again...and again.