‘Karman Line’ and ‘Parisian’ contrast views on family

Written and Photo by Andrew Larimer

“The Karman Line,” a short film by Oscar Sharp, preceded “Parisian” at the Lucas Theater. “The Karman Line” stars Olivia Colman, a mother who contracts an unusual illness and begins to physically rise in the air. The film tickles us and we even laugh at the ridiculousness of this unrealistic illness. However, not much time passes until it punches us in the stomach with brass knuckles and we are left winded from the devastation. Watching the dutiful mother and grounded wife of a family slowly float away and knowing nothing can be done was surprisingly heart wrenching.

After the unsettling feeling “The Karman Line” left in our stomachs, Slony Sow’s “Parisian” started on a sweet note. We follow Japanese author Kyoko Murakai (Eriko Takeda), as she travels to Paris in search of the perfect character for her new book. As it progresses, we see her forced to rethink both her marriage and her life through her encounters with carefree Parisian women and a mysterious Spaniard in her hotel.

The film is handled in sequences labeled with the name of the Parisian woman she was going to meet next. Some left an impact on Kyoko, while others fell short of their promising characteristics.

Takeda plays Kyoko with such delight and tender care that you can’t help but root for her throughout the entire film. She is intrigued by everything and anything around her, and her form of exploration is discovering stories from people who “don’t fit the mold.” As she scopes for her main character in the flesh, she has to endure some of the more stern and egotistical women pressing her buttons. One brawly, aggressive redhead woman caressed her hand sexually during their interview, intending to literally press her buttons.

Beneath her bubbly and warm demeanor, Kyoko is decaying from a marriage where she even says “I feel ignored” during an awkward and clunky video chat with her husband and little boy. The Spaniard in her hotel gives her the attention she desperately needs from her husband. He talks with her, takes her out to dinner, even flirts and goes in for a kiss.

With a low budget, the filmmakers were restricted to certain shooting angles. As a result, the film had a style of being very close knit to subject at hand that captured the emotions of the characters and intensity of influential moments. It allowed for a more in-depth understanding of the characters’ inner feelings.

“Parisian” subtly gives us the black and blue truth to a faltering marriage through the lens of a Japanese woman attempting to figure out what went wrong. She goes to Paris not just for her book, but also to understand her lack of happiness. We know deep down she is adventurous and full of life, and she merely needs to crack the shell blocking its escape. The film is a journey of a woman learning to accept her feelings and do what is necessary to bridge the gap to both her marriage and happiness. It reaches out to the audience in the same way, making us question our own lives and if we should accept the direction we are heading.