The Apartment (1996)

A recently engaged man sees a former lover and becomes obsessed with meeting her again.

Director:

Gilles Mimouni

Writer:

Gilles Mimouni

Stars:

Romane Bohringer, Vincent Cassel, Jean-Philippe Écoffey

Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Romane Bohringer	...	Alice
Vincent Cassel	...	Max Mayer
Jean-Philippe Écoffey	...	Lucien
Monica Bellucci	...	Lisa
Sandrine Kiberlain	...	Muriel
Olivier Granier	...	Daniel
Paul Pavel	...	Jeweller
Nelly Alard	...	Madeleine
Bruno Leonelli	...	Alain Beccaria
Tateo Isaizaki	...	Japanese Businessman
Tsuyu Shimizu	...	Japanese Interpreter
Ricardo Mateo	...	Cafe Waiter
Vincent Nemeth	...	Barman
Bruno Fernández Vella	...	Video Technician
Juan Carlos Martín Alonso	...	Video Technician

Storyline

Max is on his way to Tokyo. He lives in Paris and likes to flirt but has decided to get married. By chance, he seems to have seen Lisa, his greatest love, in a cafe. Max forgets everything, his trip to Tokyo and his fiance. Obsessed with meeting Lisa he finds out where she lives and hides in the apartment. However, a different girl, called Alice, finds Max in the flat. Alice looks quite similar to Lisa, and they have sex. To complicate matters further, Alice is also the girlfriend of Max's buddy Lucien and Lisa is followed by an older man.

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Plot Keywords:

apartment | cleavage | voyeur | infidelity | female nudity | 

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Taglines:

A place where passion and destiny meet.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexuality/nudity

Details

Country:

France Spain Italy

Language:

French English Japanese

Release Date:

2 October 1996 (France)

Also Known As:

The Apartment

Filming Locations:

Place Vendôme, Paris 1, Paris, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica, IMA Productions, La Sept Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

link=nm0001993] met his second wife Malèna (2000) on the set of this film.

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Quotes

Lisa: Do you often stalk people?

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Connections

References The Apartment (1960)

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Soundtracks

Le temps
Music by Jeff Davis
Lyrics by Charles Aznavour
Performed by Charles Aznavour
Courtesy of EMI Music France

User Reviews

Don't be misled by "the French Single White Female" tag. This is a fascinating romantic thriller in the Hitchcock tradition.

I knew nothing about this movie after being recommended to watch it by a friend, but I decided to take a chance on it as I have come to really like Vincent Cassel ('La Haine', 'The Crimson Rivers', 'The Brotherhood Of The Wolf'), even if I don't always enjoy the movies he's in (e.g. 'Dobermann'), and the added attraction of the beautiful Monica Bellucci, Cassel's frequent co-star and former wife, didn't hurt any either. The packaging proclaimed 'The Apartment' to be "the French Single White Female", and while there is SOME comparisons between the two movies I think it gives the viewer quite misleading expectations, and is probably best ignored. 'The Apartment' is more of a mystery than a thriller, and doesn't rely on shock tactics. Fans of Alfred Hitchcock, especially 'Rear Window' and 'Vertigo', which it deliberately references, will really appreciate this movie. It isn't as blatant a homage as say, Brian De Palma's 'Sisters', 'Obsession' and 'Dressed To Kill', but the influence is obvious. Cassel plays a man on the eve of his marriage, who unexpectedly finds himself pursuing an old flame (Bellucci) that he has unfinished business with. His search for her eventually leads him to what he believes is her house, but he is then surprised to find it is a case of mistaken identity, and a completely different girl (Romane Bohringer) enters his life. Things however are not what they appear to be, but to reveal anymore of the fascinating twists and turns in the plot, most of which are revealed in flashback, would be extremely unfair! Suffice to say this is a multi-layered, consistently interesting mystery romance which I found to be entertaining and unpredictable. Bellucci looks wonderful, but acting wise Bohringer is the real find here, while Cassel continues to impress. He has genuine talent and charisma and seems destined to become a major international star one day. I believe an American remake of this movie is due anytime now, but I seriously doubt that it will be half as good as this, so try and see it if you can. Highly recommended.