Sometimes the best movies are the ones you weren’t expecting, or perhaps hadn’t even heard of. One of the best films of the year is undoubtedly Lost in Paris (French: Paris pieds nus), a whimsical and brilliantly constructed comedy that wants nothing more than for the audience to have fun, and while many films may be entertaining, Lost in Paris is one of the few that wears its heart on its sleeve and has the intention of just being a breezy and fun film with genuine soul behind it.

Fiona (Fiona Gordon) is a middle-aged woman from Canada that decides she is going to pack her suitcase and head for Paris after her Aunt Martha (Emmanuelle Riva) sends her an urgent plea for help. The only problem is that Fiona is a clumsy, socially-awkward woman who never fails to show why she is so utterly weird, and she gets herself into some strange circumstances. Along the way, she encounters Dom (Dominique Abel), a homeless vagrant with a penchant for causing trouble. After their very unconventional “meet-cute”, the duo embark on a journey to find Aunt Martha, who has seemingly gone missing without a trace. Their journey takes them on a colorful and whimsical adventure through the streets of Paris.

Lost in Paris is such a quaint and small film, there isn’t very much that can be said about it. There are no complex themes or overly ambitious attempts to be profound. Rather, Lost in Paris is a deeply meaningful film that has the intention of simply being entertaining. It is the rare film that actually just leaves you with a goofy smile on your face, and I will admit that I laughed in this film way more than I thought was socially acceptable. It is just the kind of film that leaves you in a good mood and creates a positive atmosphere around it. It reminds me a whole lot of Land Ho!, which also had the same kind of feel-good value by having two individuals going on an adventure in a strange land. Lost in Paris, like Land Ho! is a film I can turn to when I am in a bit of a glum mood, because it doesn’t do anything other than make you laugh and leave you feeling good and optimistic – it is a remarkable film simply because it manages to be a sweet and endearing film that doesn’t try and being anything other than what it presents itself to be.

I will be the first to admit that I was ignorant to the existence of Fiona Gordon and Dominique Abel – the directors, writers, and stars of this film (and real-life married couple) seem to be two of the most effortlessly talented performers working in film today, based only on what I saw here and on further research of their previous work. Their performances here are tremendously good – they both have an oddball-inspired handle on physical comedy as well as being able to portray these characters as they are meant to be – meaning Gordon’s awkward tourist and Abel’s trashy vagrant are inspired by traditional archetypal characters, while being subversively eccentric and unique – the physicality of these performers is actually something to behold. There are some moments here performed by these two that could easily rival the work of the greats of silent physical comedy. I found the performances of the central duo to be absolutely wonderful and awe-inspiring to an incredible degree. They also play well across from the legendary Emmanuelle Riva, who is fantastic in her penultimate role, with her delicate but feisty Aunt Martha being an absolute highlight of her long and varied career that painted her as a true giant of French cinema.

Taking its cue from the work of the likes of Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and above everyone else, Jacques Tati, Lost in Paris is a beautiful piece of physical comedy. Like all the great comedy films of the bygone era of slapstick comedies, Lost in Paris juggles comedic prowess with genuine heart and soul, and at the center of this very funny film is a very meaningful and touching story. It’s just massively accentuated by the fact that this touching story occurs in between moments of genuinely funny slapstick comedy. As I mentioned previously, there are a huge variety of moments that are not simply hilarious, they are impossibly awe-inspiring and remarkably detailed. How such a small film managed to defy all the odds and create a bona fide throwback to the classic slapstick comedy was quite an accomplishment and I definitely feel the need to heap excessive praise on Lost in Paris simply because of how entertaining it is, and how it achieves it through being deeply dedicated to the art it is portraying. It is akin to watching a great artist at work, with Lost in Paris being a superb execution of some truly incredible moments.

Lost in Paris frames itself as a great throwback to classic Hollywood – and there are a plethora of inspirations to other films contained within Lost in Paris, mainly those of the silent film tradition. As mentioned previously, Lost in Paris has moments inspired by the likes of Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin, and Buster Keaton, with massive helpings of Jacques Tati. But it doesn’t stop there because I found references to some very odd films in Lost in Paris – such as a sequence that seemed vaguely similar to the one in Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The theme of “fish out of water” is one common in the mainstream comedy, but it is never better satirized (in a very endearing manner) than in Lost in Paris, which serves to be a great pastiche to films of the past. The directors were obviously as infatuated with cinema as we are because they imbue their film with such a clear adoration of cinema, it is impossible to not absolutely adore – the best kind of art is one that isn’t only made by a great artist, but by an artist who loves are themselves. Lost in Paris almost feels like Wes Anderson made Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot. I want to live in a world where Wes Anderson makes his own version of Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot.

Lost in Paris is an absolutely adorable film. There isn’t a single moment in this film that didn’t strike me as absolutely remarkable. I laughed like a maniac, and it warmed my heart. This is a very entertaining film, and at only 83-minutes in length, it breezes past. However, despite its brief running time, it is a film that will stay with you. I watched this film nearly two weeks ago and I still smile when I think about it. It is a wonderful film, and certainly a hidden gem. It is most certainly worth a look because it is just a purely entertaining film and one that will leave you on a buzz for days.