Overrated and overhyped

The first must-see film of the year.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

I often wonder if directors sometimes tire of the boxes they find themselves put in. Chantal Akerman, who at the tender age of 25 delivered up the masterpiece Jeanne Dielman which not only changed the face of cinema but forever assured her place among other cinematic auteurs, once referred to herself as being funny like Charlie Chaplin. I guess she tired of simply saying it and decided to actually try it out. Unfortunately the result is not that great. The premise of the film is actually quite promising and suits the genre perfectly. A cold clinical psychoanalyst is overwhelmed by the neediness of his patients and decides to house swap. The person who answers his ad is a young dancer. She is all youth, exuberance and mess. He is cold, clean, calculated. While he can't get comfortable in her apartment she gets all too comfortable in his; when a patient mistakenly assumes she is the analyst's replacement she ends up rolling with it. The movie isn't the greatest, there is some awkward editing that seems to be the result of scenes missing. There's also the fact that for a romantic comedy the comedy of the film never really soars. Binoche and Hurt do well enough with their characters, but they don't have the sort of magic chemistry that could have made this film really work. Also, perhaps the strangest bit of all, for being the work of such an acclaimed director it seems curiously stripped of nearly all the traits that made Akerman, Akerman. It feels like the kind of forgettable movie you would find flipping through the channels late at night. If it wasn't for the fact that this was an Akerman film and that the stars are very notable as well this would be a completely forgotten film, one of dozens of rom coms that got pumped out by studios in the 90s. Pleasant enough to watch but very forgettable.

Dr. Henry Harriston, a psychoanalyst, is so sick of his patients he puts an ad in the Herald-Tribune asking to swap his New York apartment for one in Paris. Beatrice, who answers the ad because her friend Anne lives in New York, seems to get the better part of the deal. Dr. Harriston has a fabulous apartment and Beatrice's building is noisy and falling apart. Then Dr. Harriston's patients start showing up at his place. Also, Dr. Harriston's dog Edgard is lethargic and has intestinal problems. Meanwhile, Beatrice has a number of men after her, mostly borderline insane.Juliette Binoche is pretty and so charming, and she really shows genuine concern for Dr. Harriston's patients--one in particular. Richard Jenkins does something unique and unexpected as one of the patients. And William Hurt eventually does show his talent as well. Most of the leading actors gave good performances.The first half was quite funny, but the second half leaned more toward drama. Though there were funny moments, such as when Dr. Harriston tried to carry on a conversation with his friend Dennis while Dennis was taking an order at a restaurant.The ending was very sweet. Overall, this film was worth seeing.

Wealthy, successful, fastidious NYC shrink (William Hurt) trades apartment with a French lady (Juliette Binoche)for a few weeks, they cross the Atlantic at the same time, never meet. Some of his patients visit her at the NY apt, end up on the "couch", they tell her all their troubles, pay in cash as she leaves, astonished at the unexpected income.Meanwhile the good doctor is having all kinds of problems in Paris, a water leak, a messy apartment, a jealous boyfriend who punches him, looking for his girl, so he goes back to NY, shows up unannounced, doesn't tell who he is, and promptly starts to fall in love with her. After a lot of posturing, and she saying she is returning the next day to Paris, he catches a flight there and beats her back by one day. He messes up the apartment to make her feel at home, she figures out who he really is, they kiss and share small talk in French as they go from the balcony into the bedroom.Binoche is just perfect as the sloppy and charming French girl. Hurt is a good actor but doen't have enough range for this type of role. In contrast, consider Kevin Kline's role in "French Kiss." Still, it is a somewhat enjoyable film, but pretty simplistic in its approach and climax. It reminds me more of the old Audrey Hepburn type of movie, much ado about nothing.

The premise is a little unrealistic, that a uber-psychiatrist would temporarily abandon his Manhattan practice to switch apartments for a month in Paris-a switch with an unknown woman made through the newspaper. Incroyable!!!But when you have a chance to make a film with two Academy Award winners, Juliette Binoche and William Hurt, set both in New York and Paris, who would pass the chance? Chantal Ackerman could not, the opportunity to make her first English speaking film a bonus.The film is a reminder of how difficult it is to cross the pond movie-wise. Nuance and sub-text is awkward or incomprehensible here-the threads on which the movie is woven are frassled.This artsy little film survives entirely on Binoche's vitality, her French innocence and enthusiasm dominates every negative New York influence her character encounters.It fails most everywhere else, sadly.