Chinese Puzzle

2013 1h 57m FR

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 749

ComedyDramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Cohen Media Amazon ChannelSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Romain Duris
Xavier Rousseau
Audrey Tautou
Martine
Cécile de France
Isabelle
Kelly Reilly
Wendy
Sandrine Holt
Ju
Flore Bonaventura
Isabelle
Jochen Hägele
les philosophes allemands
Benoît Jacquot
Xavier's Dad

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Cédric Klapisch
Writers: Cédric Klapisch
Languages: French, English, Spanish, Cantonese, Yiddish
Countries: Belgium, France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 13 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 5 languages: French, English, Spanish, Cantonese, Yiddish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Belgium, France.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Part of the "Spanish Apartment Trilogy" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Cédric Klapisch, shot by Natasha Braier. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Anne-Sophie Bion shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Romain Duris and Audrey Tautou and Cécile de France carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1937118 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Cédric Klapisch directs. Natasha Braier behind the camera. Anne-Sophie Bion cuts. Produced in Belgium, France. Dialogue in French, English, Spanish, Cantonese, Yiddish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 13 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 5 languages: French, English, Spanish, Cantonese, Yiddish.
3International production across 2 countries: Belgium, France.
4Part of the "Spanish Apartment Trilogy" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Cédric Klapisch, shot by Natasha Braier. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor Anne-Sophie Bion shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Romain Duris and Audrey Tautou and Cécile de France carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt1937118 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Natasha Braier
Editing: Anne-Sophie Bion
Production design: Marie Cheminal
Costume design: Lee Harper
Makeup / hair: Christopher Fulton
Sound: Cyril Holtz
Runtime: 117 min · 1h 57m
Status: Released
Box office: $16,968,297
Original language: FR
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Chinese Puzzle (2013)

Part of

Spanish Apartment Trilogy

Follow Xavier throughout the different stages of his life, from his student years in Barcelona to his start in the workforce, leading him from Paris to London via St Petersburg, before returning to Paris to be a father on his way to New York.

Also by

Cédric Klapisch

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Andres Gomez2016-01-22
★ 8/10
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.
CinemaSerf2024-04-14
★ 7/10
"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.