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ComedyDramaRomance

Chinese Puzzle

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Xavier is a 40-year-old father of two who still finds life very complicated. When the mother of his children moves to New York, he can't bear them growing up far away from him and so he decides to move there as well.

Release Date : 2013-12-04

Language :FrenchEnglishSpanishCantoneseYiddish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Ce qui me meutOpposite Field PicturesBelgacomStudioCanalPanache ProductionsLa Compagnie Cinématographique

Production Country : BelgiumFrance

Alternative Titles : Chinese Puzzle

Cast

Romain Duris

Character Name : Xavier Rousseau

Original Name : Romain Duris

Gender : Male

Audrey Tautou

Character Name : Martine

Original Name : Audrey Tautou

Gender : Female

Cécile de France

Character Name : Isabelle

Original Name : Cécile de France

Gender : Female

Kelly Reilly

Character Name : Wendy

Original Name : Kelly Reilly

Gender : Female

Sandrine Holt

Character Name : Ju

Original Name : Sandrine Holt

Gender : Female

Flore Bonaventura

Character Name : Isabelle

Original Name : Flore Bonaventura

Gender : Female

Jochen Hägele

Character Name : les philosophes allemands

Original Name : Jochen Hägele

Gender : Male

Benoît Jacquot

Character Name : Xavier's Dad

Original Name : Benoît Jacquot

Gender : Male

Martine Demaret

Character Name : Xavier's Mom

Original Name : Martine Demaret

Gender : Female

Li Jun Li

Character Name : Nancy

Original Name : Li Jun Li

Gender : Female

Dominique Besnehard

Character Name : l'éditeur

Original Name : Dominique Besnehard

Gender : Male

Zinedine Soualem

Character Name : M. Boubaker

Original Name : Zinedine Soualem

Gender : Male

Peter Hermann

Character Name : John

Original Name : Peter Hermann

Gender : Male

Jason Kravits

Character Name : Lawyer

Original Name : Jason Kravits

Gender : Male

Vanessa Guide

Character Name : Nurse

Original Name : Vanessa Guide

Gender : Female

Kyan Khojandi

Character Name : Antoine Garceau

Original Name : Kyan Khojandi

Gender : Male

Cédric Klapisch

Character Name : le photographe (caméo)

Original Name : Cédric Klapisch

Gender : Male

Alex Kruz

Character Name : Le deuxième mari Latino

Original Name : Alex Kruz

Gender : Male

Luis Vega

Character Name : Le mari latino

Original Name : Luis Vega

Gender : Male

Pablo Mugnier-Jacob

Character Name : Tom Rousseau

Original Name : Pablo Mugnier-Jacob

Gender : Male

Margaux Mansart

Character Name : Mia Rousseau

Original Name : Margaux Mansart

Gender : Male

Amin Djakliou

Character Name : Lucas

Original Name : Amin Djakliou

Gender : Male

Clara Abbasi

Character Name : Jade

Original Name : Clara Abbasi

Gender : Male

Sharrieff Pugh

Character Name : Ray

Original Name : Sharrieff Pugh

Gender : Male

Peter McRobbie

Character Name : L'agent bureau immigration

Original Name : Peter McRobbie

Gender : Male

Byron Jennings

Character Name : L'avocat de Wendy

Original Name : Byron Jennings

Gender : Male

Alison Arboux

Character Name : La première collégienne

Original Name : Alison Arboux

Gender : Female

Loreleï Aubry

Character Name : La deuxième collégienne

Original Name : Loreleï Aubry

Gender : Male

Natalia Segura

Character Name : La femme sensuelle

Original Name : Natalia Segura

Gender : Female

Xavier Alcan

Character Name : L'associé de l'éditeur

Original Name : Xavier Alcan

Gender : Male

Maud Wyler

Character Name : L'assistante de l'éditeur

Original Name : Maud Wyler

Gender : Female

Catrina Ganey

Character Name : L'infirmière de la maternité

Original Name : Catrina Ganey

Gender : Female

Adrian Martinez

Character Name : Le patron coursier

Original Name : Adrian Martinez

Gender : Male

Jose Soto

Character Name : Miguel

Original Name : Jose Soto

Gender : Male

Shuya Chang

Character Name : Ming Li

Original Name : Shuya Chang

Gender : Female

Howah Hung

Character Name : Ben

Original Name : Howah Hung

Gender : Male

Phil Nee

Character Name : Le chauffeur de taxi chinois

Original Name : Phil Nee

Gender : Male

Anna Berger

Character Name : La vieille dame

Original Name : Anna Berger

Gender : Female

Larry Fessenden

Character Name : Le premier rocker

Original Name : Larry Fessenden

Gender : Male

Joe Stefko

Character Name : Le deuxième rocker

Original Name : Joe Stefko

Gender : Male

Yinka Adeboyeku

Character Name : Le chauffeur en colère

Original Name : Yinka Adeboyeku

Gender : Male

Kenneth Maharaj

Character Name : Le chauffeur de taxi indien

Original Name : Kenneth Maharaj

Gender : Male

Antoine Garceau

Character Name : L'assistant-photographe

Original Name : Antoine Garceau

Gender : Male

Damon Michael Gordon

Character Name : Le piéton secouriste

Original Name : Damon Michael Gordon

Gender : Male

Michael Che

Character Name : Un passant

Original Name : Michael Che

Gender : Male

Dominic Colón

Character Name : Carlos Fernandez

Original Name : Dominic Colón

Gender : Male

Ryiah Rene Suazo

Character Name : Kayla

Original Name : Ryiah Rene Suazo

Gender : Male

Yelena Shmulenson

Character Name : La femme yiddish

Original Name : Yelena Shmulenson

Gender : Female

Allen Lewis Rickman

Character Name : L'homme yiddish

Original Name : Allen Lewis Rickman

Gender : Male

Dylan Chalfy

Character Name : Le père en colère

Original Name : Dylan Chalfy

Gender : Male

Victor Colicchio

Character Name : Le deuxième avocat

Original Name : Victor Colicchio

Gender : Male

J.D. Williams

Character Name : Le barman

Original Name : J.D. Williams

Gender : Male

Jenny L. Saldaña

Character Name : La femme latino

Original Name : Jenny L. Saldaña

Gender : Female

Wang Yinuo

Character Name : Le réceptionniste

Original Name : Wang Yinuo

Gender : Female

Celia Au

Character Name : Une skater

Original Name : Celia Au

Gender : Female

Brian Cheeks

Character Name : Man Getting Married

Original Name : Brian Cheeks

Gender : Male

Alexander Jameson

Character Name : Wedding Guest

Original Name : Alexander Jameson

Gender : Male

Mia Sinclair Jenness

Character Name : Hasidic Daughter

Original Name : Mia Sinclair Jenness

Gender : Female

Stephen Lin

Character Name : Bike Messager

Original Name : Stephen Lin

Gender : Male

Niyi Oni

Character Name : Sammie

Original Name : Niyi Oni

Gender : Male

Anna Rapp

Character Name : Hasidic Daughter

Original Name : Anna Rapp

Gender : Female

Tyler Rapp

Character Name : Hasidic Son

Original Name : Tyler Rapp

Gender : Male

Will Tomi

Character Name : Groom's Witness

Original Name : Will Tomi

Gender : Male

Reviews

A

Andres Gomez

@tanty

2021-06-23

This third part of the series started with "The Spanish Apartment" and "Russian Dolls" continues following the life of Xavier and his complications. The cast is the well known and very good from previous parts with the good additions of the children, which perform really well. This part, although shows again the chaotic life of Xavier, feels, somehow more coherent and luminous, as if the pieces would be finally fitting. Maybe the best way of summarizing the series and the conclusion is with the conversation that Xavier and Martine have by the end of the film in which Martine tell Xavier how she cannot get how Xavier feels his life to be that complicated. For her, it is just life as it is. Anyway, a movie to pass a good time, with the spicy addition of the mixed languages and (western) cultures which have always made this series something special, although it is clearly addressed to the 70's - early 80's born western generation with a comfortable economic position.

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-04-14

"Xavier" (Roman Duris) is maybe not the most reliable of husbands, but I did feel a little sorry for him when wife "Wendy" (Kelly Reilly) decides that she wishes to relocate to the United States, and to take their two children with her. Bluntly, she doesn't really care whether he likes it or not. She's met a new man "John" (Peter Hermann) and is going regardless. Surprisingly for him, this really focusses his priories as he realises that he doesn't want to live without them, so he follows suit. He ends up living in New York's Chinatown where he has to try and sort out a job, accommodation and a lawyer for his impending divorce. What now ensues sees this well meaning but hapless fellow leap from the frying pan to the fire on countless occasions. He even manages to get himself embroiled in a marriage of convenience for a couple of lesbians, is on the wrong visa and a reuniting with "Martine" (Audrey Tautou) is only going to further complicate this already messy scenario. Duris is good with these sorts of roles. The lightly comedic, slightly daft character who is usually always reacting to a shambles of his own making, lurching from one mistake to another whilst genuinely trying to be decent and helpful. There's a fun scene in the sperm donating room - you can just use your imagination for that! Tautou always reminds me of Audrey Helpburn - and here, though she doesn't feature so prominently, she owns her scenes - especially those she delivers in Mandarin. There's also an enjoyable dynamic coming from Sandrine Holt ("Ju") and "Isabelle" (Cécile de France) as they all try to stay one step ahead of the savvy immigration inspector (Peter McRobbie) and the thing builds to a denouement that might also have worked well for Peter Sellers. We could possibly condense the first fifteen minutes a little, but otherwise this is an entertaining middle-age crisis romp that I quite enjoyed.