Les Parallèles

The latest Cahiers du cinéma critic to turn film maker, Nicolas Saada, also has an increasing reputation as a screenwriter, working with film makers including Arnaud Desplechin and Pierre Salvadori. His first foray into directing is a terse, elliptical, teasing piece that lives up to its title. A corrupt businessman returns to Paris to face justice. While he hides out in a hotel, three people find their fates become entangled with his - his tormented son (the ubiquitous Amalric, here at his nervy best), an anxious young composer (Zaccai), and Louise (Pailhas), who works at a perfume counter in a Paris department store. An elegant piece in which the Cannes Critics' Week notes detected elements of Pialat, Godard and Rohmer. Parallels also makes memorable use of Debussy, set to one of those Parisian skyline openings that are so hard to resist. (Jonathan Romney)