W2TCH

Chinese Puzzle (2014)

2014 • 1h 57m • Drama, Comedy • R
On September 29, 2026
#17923▼ 707
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CinemaSerf on Chinese Puzzle

7/10 · Apr 14, 2024

"Xavier" (Roman Duris) may not be the ideal husband, and it was easy to sympathize with him when his wife, "Wendy" (Kelly Reilly), announces her intention to move to America, taking their two children along for the ride—regardless of his feelings. She’s found someone new, “John” (Peter Hermann), and is proceeding as planned. This situation unexpectedly clarifies what's important to Xavier, as he realizes he can't imagine life without his family, so he decides to join them in the U.S. He finds himself living in New York’s Chinatown, where he must navigate finding work, securing housing, and hiring a lawyer for an impending divorce. What follows is a series of unfortunate events, with this well-intentioned but clumsy man constantly stumbling from one predicament to another. His situation becomes even more complicated when he gets involved in a marriage of convenience arranged for two women, faces visa issues, and reconnects with "Martine" (Audrey Tautou). Duris excels at playing these types of characters—the somewhat goofy guy who’s usually reacting to the chaos he's created, making blunder after blunder while genuinely trying to be good and helpful. There's a memorable scene set in a sperm donation clinic – which I’ll leave to your imagination! Tautou evokes Audrey Hepburn, and even though her role isn’t extensive, she makes an impact—particularly in her Mandarin dialogue. The interactions between Sandrine Holt ("Ju") and "Isabelle" (Cécile de France) are also enjoyable as they attempt to stay ahead of the astute immigration inspector (Peter McRobbie), and the story builds toward a resolution that could have suited Peter Sellers well. Perhaps the initial fifteen minutes could be trimmed, but beyond that, this is an amusing film about a midlife crisis that I found quite entertaining.

Source on TMDB