Reviews

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  ★★★★ review by Wagner Demetrius on Letterboxd

  PARISIAN HONEY

  Após ser assediada pelo tio, uma estudante libanesa foge da casa onde era hóspede e resolve se virar sozinha em Paris. Se você conhece o gênero, já sabe: ela vai passar necessidades, fazer amigos, desafetos e se envolver com os homens "certos" e os "errados". Mas questão aqui não é a história e sim forma como é contada, a trajetória tem algo de autobiografia e ainda toca (sem se aprofundar) na situação sócio-política da França nos 90's.

  Dirgido por Danielle Arbib com um olhar íntimo e sem afetações, 'Peur de Rien' é um filme sensível e maduro sobre mais uma jovem em busca de si mesma.

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  ★★★★ review by Milo on Letterboxd

  Film 13 out of 52 Films By Women

  The second French film that I watched on Mubi since I subscribed to its service, Parisienne is a coming of age story that follows a 19 year old emigrant Lina who is attending University in Paris and explores her encounters with three different men over the course of the movie. It's beautifully shot and features an excellent performance from Manal Issa, who is certainly an actress to watch and I'll be keeping an eye out for Nocturama, the other film that she's in that's logged on Letterboxd to watch in the future, because I was really impressed by her acting here.

  The film feels real with a great character study and portrayal of Lina, also making use of a pretty good soundtrack to boot. The film itself may not be a classic but it's certainly something that shouldn't be overloooked, particularly if you have a Mubi (at least the UK site) subscription as it was something that like Ogres I would not have heard of otherwise and watched it on a whim and I'm very glad that I did. Danielle Arbid's directing is strong for the most part as well and the film really makes use of Paris as a setting effectively, as the city almost feels like a character in its own right.

  So if you're looking for a good coming of age story with a great performance from its lead then Parisienne is worth a try. I'm definitely going to be watching a lot more French movies in the near future after these two as well - Breathless, Napoleon and more spring to mind for example as classics I haven't had the chance to watch yet, but for now this one at least certainly leaves a good impression.

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  ★★★★ review by Jessica James on Letterboxd

  Danielle Arbid's portrait of Lina, a Lebanese immigrant (Manal Issa) in 1990s Paris is both an effective look at the complexities of immigration and a showcase for Issa's star quality. Lina struggles to find a place within France, being both driven to succeed on her university course and variously manipulated and drawn into an older man's affairs and different political groups.

  Lina's resilience in the face of domestic abuse, racism and the bureaucracy of the French immigration system makes hers an inspiring story. Arbid also positions Parisienne as a period piece that doesn't excessively rely on 1990s pop culture for energy (although an appearance by Frank Black of the Pixies is welcome).

  Indeed, shifting the time period away from the present makes Parisienne's story all the more timely, highlighting a time where debates over immigration were less intense but still a constant tension in French life. Parisienne similarly gives Issa a great platform to show her range and screen presence, suggesting a bright future for the actor.

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  ★★★½ review by David Nguyen on Letterboxd

  What starts out as a likeable Parisian coming-of-age story takes on a new dimension when it gracefully weaves in the racial and political tensions of its mid-90s French milieu. To her credit, director Danielle Arbid uses the film's politics as a kind of background noise that permeates the central plot rather than overwhelms it, and when a sudden detour to Lebanon arrives late in the film, her real aim — to humbly humanise the stories of immigrants without romanticising their dreams or struggles — becomes fully apparent.

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  ★★★★ review by Kevin Matthews on Letterboxd

  I really enjoyed this film, from director Danielle Arbid, that shows life in France though the eyes of a struggling Lebanese student (a fantastic central performance from Manal Issa, in her first feature role).
  
  Despite one or two mistakes along the way, the main character does her best to be honest and deserving of the opportunity that she struggles to hold on to while being buffeted around by a turbulent personal life.

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