I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

A very fresh and current plot. With a lively back and forth between the first person's "off" thoughts and concrete dialogue between characters. The actors Duris and Tautou nail their papers, although it is not a job to highlight. The rest does well. In tune with its trilogy's predecessors ("L'auberge espagnole" and "The Russian Dolls") Kaplisch gives us a very entertaining, very fresh comedy with a seal undoubtedly French. This time, we see the characters through the crisis of the 40s (or late 30s). I think that Klapisch could very well summarize the "evils" afflicting this generation at this historic moment, resulting in a film that becomes very close, with situations that can happen to anyone and very relatable characters. OK, yes ....it's a little strange that everything happens to him, but I think the situations are very possible in the world today, and are synthesized in a character in a few months (allowed for the sake of comic effect) . With very funny moments and others flatter, I think achieves the goal. It is not an awesome movie, but recommended for a very pleasant time.

Because of his involvement with Un Air de famille - he directed a great screenplay by Agnes Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri - I'm prepared to overlook any flawed movies by Cedric Klapish so that despite an aversion to Romaine Duris I did, in fact, see both L'Auberge Espagnol and Les Poupees Russe, both of which feature a melange of characters at different (2002, 2005) times in their lives, and I didn't really care for either of them. This third outing reunites Duris with Audrey Tautao, Cecile de France and Kelly Reilly, all now more or less forty years old and maybe I'm mellowing but I actually enjoyed it in the main, even Duris is less swaggering and acting like God's gift as is his usual wont. This isn't the same as saying that I'll rush out and buy the DVD the minute it appears in the shops but it is a pleasant and fairly harmless diversion.

It's great even if you haven't seen the 2 first movies! But if you have, know that it brings you the same kind of lightness and fun. Makes you want to enjoy life to the fullest! Each character is perfectly built up, and you get attached to all of them (I feel like I know them personally and would happily move in with them!)Of course, this movie builds up on the story that started 20 years earlier, so it's great to see how each of these people evolved, how life changes, and how it's still linked to the past. It's hard not to fall in love with these people! Each of the 3 movies happens in a totally different place. So let yourself be carried away!

* Warning: Spoilers. Also, I went and saw this film without first having seen the trailer. I recommend you not watch the trailer before you see this film if you don't want to know anything. *First of all, I think the title of the film is genius. Literally, it means Chinese "broken head" which is translated into "Chinese Puzzle", ie it's a puzzle that drives you so crazy it breaks your head. It is obvious they wanted to keep the theme of having an adjective related to a country/culture - Spanish youth hostel, Russian dolls, Chinese puzzle... The only difference is this time no part of the film is set in China. If you google "casse tête chinois" it's one of those wooden puzzles where all the pieces have to fit together in the right way and in the right order. Xavier (Romain Duris), now 40, says his life is a mess and he wonders how he got to this point, where the pieces are obviously NOT in the right order nor in the right place. He recounts his touching, funny and personal story over the past few years through Skype interviews with his book publisher (he is writing a book based on his life).I have seen the first two films but it has been so long ago that I cannot remember the story lines. It is not necessary IMHO to have seen them but it would help you have a deeper understanding of the main characters and their development. Fans of either the first two films will be delighted to see the actresses Audrey Tautou, Cécile De France and Kelly Reilly reprise their roles as Martine, Isabelle and Wendy. I felt that maybe the director (Cédric Klapisch) wanted to capitalize on the success and popularity of Audrey Tautou with foreigners by putting her in the film as much as possible. In the first few minutes of the film the protagonist mentions going from point A to point B in life. What I feel is that life is so easy in your 20s (their ages in the first film) where everybody starts at the same point, at point A. In your 30s people's lives tend to go down different paths, marriages, singledom, divorces, kids or no kids, gay/lesbianism, there is no one set path and nobody can predict what will happen in your life from your late 20s onwards. I guess the film is trying to show that it's OK not to have a 'perfect' life and that there are happy relationships of all different kinds.Apart from the main topic of romantic relationships, the film also briefly touches on parent-child relationships and features Xavier's children but also his parents in 2 short separate scenes. I don't feel that these scenes would have been missed if taken out but I am glad they were in there because when you get to the age where you have kids or 'should be' having kids you think about your own parents a lot, their relationship with each other and to you. The scene with his father was really sweet but I won't give it away what it was.And so, Xavier is now married to Wendy (and has been for the past 10 years) and has 2 children with her. Their relationship is on the rocks and one day Wendy announces she has met a new man in New York and wants to move there, immediately, with the children. Xavier, therefore, has no choice but to give up his life in Paris and to join them in New York to stay in regular contact with his young children.This brings up a whole new set of problems for him such as finding housing, slight language issues, finding a job, how to stay in the country legally for a long period of time... as someone who has moved overseas (several times) I found this aspect highly interesting and it shows the young people these days, are more than ever, globally mobile and willing to overcome hardships and obstacles in an effort to start a new life elsewhere.There are many new characters and actors introduced into this third film of the trilogy and together they create an interesting patchwork for the plot. There are also many Chinese (Chinese American) characters in this film and Chinatown is featured often too, strengthening the multiple meanings behind the title. There is also a hilarious scene where Audrey speaks Chinese.I won't go on much further other than to say that it's a much see! 10/10 for me. If you enjoyed the previous two in the series, or enjoy films that you can really relate to, full of funny, sweet and poignant moments, this is definitely one not to miss.