Featured Audience Ratings

• Carlos M

  
  Even with a share of good moments, this is an unnecessary and forgettable sequel that relies too much on Xavier's disastrous search for love instead of focusing on the expected reunion of the friends of L'Auberge Espagnole. Good to see, though, that it doesn't get… More
  Even with a share of good moments, this is an unnecessary and forgettable sequel that relies too much on Xavier's disastrous search for love instead of focusing on the expected reunion of the friends of L'Auberge Espagnole. Good to see, though, that it doesn't get ruined by some of the poor narrative choices.

• Cassandra M

  
  "L'auberge espagnole", although not flawless and very low-key, is probably one of the best films about nostalgia ever made. In "Les poupées russes", the main character of both films, Xavier (Duris), has coped well with his post-Erasmus nostalgia. However, what… More
  "L'auberge espagnole", although not flawless and very low-key, is probably one of the best films about nostalgia ever made. In "Les poupées russes", the main character of both films, Xavier (Duris), has coped well with his post-Erasmus nostalgia. However, what seemed, at the end of "L'auberge", to be both a cure and a new beginning has turned out to be much less of the latter. Xavier is nearly thirty and his life still badly needs focus. The film follows Xavier from Paris to London to Moscow to Saint-Petersburg, examining relationships with his ex-Erasmus friends (many of whom look like they got a hold on life better than himself), his ex-girlfriend Martine (Tautou) and various new lovers. The sceneries are exciting and the characters are crafted perhaps with even more care and sincerity than in "L'auberge" (the Duris-Tautou "still friends" duo is a delight) - but the romantic allure of "L'auberge" served well to smoothen the rough edges and dilute the film's hard-boiled message - writer-director Cédric Klapisch is definitely a man of ideas more than anything else. "Les poupées" is no less cerebral, but with the grown-up life being what it is, there's much less in the film to get carried away with - meaning that at times it becomes more of a philosophical drama than a romantic comedy. And for that purpose, perhaps the philosophical message that the film tries to convey - that letting go of dreams is a sad, but necessary part of growing up - is simply not strong enough.

• Ross C

  
  The next stage in the self-development of our cast of characters from "The Spannish Inn" as they continue their lives in the post-University days - every bit as good as the first movie.

• Dean M

  
  It's a bittersweet comedy and really good to see the group of carefree friends back toget her again since "The Spanish Apartment". I'm jealous of a writer has plenty of womanising by loving and sex.

• Walter M

  
  [font=Century Gothic]In "Russian Dolls", it is five years after Xavier(Romain Duris) shared a crowded apartment in Barcelona for a year. He is back in Paris working as a writer on fluff pieces and ghostwriting the odd memoir. Occasionally, he has time to babysit for his… More
  [font=Century Gothic]In "Russian Dolls", it is five years after Xavier(Romain Duris) shared a crowded apartment in Barcelona for a year. He is back in Paris working as a writer on fluff pieces and ghostwriting the odd memoir. Occasionally, he has time to babysit for his ex, Martine(Audrey Tautou). But he is kicked out of the apartment where he has been living, forcing him to move in with his lesbian friend Isabelle(Cecile De France) who he shanghais into pretending to be his fiancee, so as not to disappoint his 98-year old grandfather(Pierre Gerald).[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Russian Dolls" is a mediocre and episodic sequel to "L'Auberge Espagnole"(which I saw in 2003 but cannot recall any of...) that returns to the characters five years later, or more precisely, one of them, Xavier, who is much too unpleasant to be a lead character. Everybody else revolves around him, most of them women, so there is definitely a hint of sexism here. This might have actually worked had it been a shorter, simpler film, set just around the St. Petersburg wedding.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]The movie reasons that people only stay single because they are all waiting to find the perfect person, but then there is nothing wrong with being single, is there? It's when somebody is with another person just to avoid being lonely that disaster happens. On a professional level, writers should first find a good job, then write on the side when they have the time. That reminds me, I also heard about this really cool thing called blogging...[/font]

• Sunil J

  
  Quite a disappointing sequel

• Janice :

  
  If you liked the first movie (L'Auberge Espagnole), chances are you will love this second film as well. Actually in my opinion this one is much much better! You've got Xavier who's evolving and slowly figuring out what he really wants out of life and then you have… More
  If you liked the first movie (L'Auberge Espagnole), chances are you will love this second film as well. Actually in my opinion this one is much much better! You've got Xavier who's evolving and slowly figuring out what he really wants out of life and then you have all the other characters who are as charming and attaching as they were 5 years ago. Cécile de France gives once again a great performance (the lady is hilarious I tell you!) and one of my fave actors in the film has got to be Kelly Reilly. She is amazing! Bravo! In a nutshell, this is pretty enjoyable even though it may drag at times, BUT it's snazzy in its own way and it all works. So go ahead and rent this, you have absolutely nothing to lose!

• Ina S

  
  More conventional than the first one, but I still liked it, good fun.

Read all 8 featured audience ratings