Under the Stars of Paris

"Directed by Claus Drexel (of 'Affaire de famille'), 'Sous les étoiles de Paris' tells the story of Christine (Catherine Frot), a lonely homeless woman whose path crosses with that of little Suli (Mahamadou Yaffa) -- a black, immigrant child who got lost in the streets of Paris and is now alone there. From then on, a frantic search for his mother begins. It's a movie that should be watched with certain restrictions, since it falls into the old cliché of a white person saving someone from some minority (here, in this case, a black and immigrant child). It's problematic in itself. However, Drexel knows how to direct the drama in such a way as to dilute these problems and, mainly, make Frot's performance, one of the ladies of French cinema today, gain strength in scenes that show, just like a Parisian poem, her fearless willingness to help others. It could have been better, even more so if this cliché had been left aside with a more current and clever plot, but it should please those fans of French cinema."