Known as “Les Olympiades” in France, Audiard’s film takes place in the Olympiades high rises, a community of buildings the director loves to frame in his gorgeous black and white—the idea being that we are merely glimpsing a handful of stories in this part of Paris, and every one of those lit windows could hold its own. He starts with a naked Émilie (Lucie Zhang), laying on a couch at night doing karaoke, filling the time of being a young woman on her own. The story really starts when Émilie puts out an ad for a new roommate and a young teacher named Camille (Makita Samba) responds. She rebuffs him at first, presuming Camille was a woman merely by his name, but the sexual tension is immediate, and she gives in. They’re fooling around before he’s even moved in. Of course, being a roommate and a lover comes with inherent problems, especially when it’s clear that Émilie takes the whole thing a bit more seriously than Camille.
Perhaps by virtue of combining multiple Tomine stories into one script, “Paris, 13th District” almost feels like it’s going to be a true episodic anthology after Émilie & Camille’s story gives way to the introduction of Nora (the phenomenal Noémie Merlant), a student who finds herself in a social nightmare when she’s mistaken for a cam girl named Amber Sweet (Jehnny Beth). Her classmates hurl sexually abusive insults at Nora, and the young woman decides to actually contact Amber to discuss the problem, leading to a unique relationship. Of course, Nora will also cross paths with Camille. It’s that kind of movie.
Audiard is invigorated by these vibrant, gorgeous young people, delivering one of the most sexually active films in years, even for the French. And his cast fearlessly work through their characters most private moments and emotions, leading to a movie that isn’t voyeuristic as much as it is genuine. All of his performers disappear into their roles, but the MVP is “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” star Merlant, who sells what could have been a broadly wacky subplot from a Garry Marshall rom-com in a way that’s believable. She’s a fascinating performer, able to convey the multiple conflicting emotions that can arise in a relationship without feeling forced.