Fantasia Film Festival 2020: A Mermaid in Paris

A combination of romance and fantasy is usually a recipe for success when it comes to narrative storytelling, and this is particularly true in cinema. From classics like Beauty and the Beast to more recent efforts like The Shape of Water, these stories have the ability to capture both our imaginations and hearts in a highly transformative way. Mathias Malzieu’s A Mermaid in Paris is no exception to this and proves to be more than just a crowd-pleasing romantic fantasy.

Set in what many consider to be one of the world’s most romantic cities, A Mermaid in Paris is first and foremost a love story. Gaspard (Nicolas Duvauchelle) is a hopeless romantic who works as a singer at his family’s nightclub. Through chance, he encounters Lula (Marilyn Lima), an injured mermaid who mysteriously finds her way onshore. Cursed with an affliction that causes anyone who falls in love with her to die, Lula fears that Gaspard’s life may be in danger as the two grow closer together.

A uniquely quirky love story

There’s a real sense of brevity to Malzieu’s stylistic choices in A Mermaid in Paris, which is further complimented by the quirky characters that inhabit its narrative. Whether it’s Gaspard’s fixation on nostalgia, Lula’s almost childlike curiosity, or the antics of the overly intrusive neighbour (Rossy De Palma), the film creates a world that revels in oddity, but not to the point where it becomes comical.

The cinematography of Virginie Saint-Martin also features a bright colour palette and feels slightly oversaturated, which only punctuates the film’s almost fairytale-like tone. Altogether, all these creative choices by Malzieu result in a love story that is appropriately quirky, but still unfathomably genuine. Because of the uniquely imaginative world created within the film, the fantastical nature of the romantic relationship in question never feels out of place. It simply feels right.

Capturing the art of believing

Much like a well-put-together superhero or fantasy film, it’s hard not to be a believer when it comes to A Mermaid in Paris. For a film that almost reaches true fairytale fantasy territory, it’s done on a rather small scale and arguably feels more believable as a result of that. But whether or not you actually believe in mermaids is not the real issue here (I’m assuming most people probably don’t!), as the film is more concerned with how beautiful it is to believe in anything at all.

In many respects, the film serves as a reminder that being a believer doesn’t necessarily equate to being childish. Although many of Gaspard’s life choices might seem to lack maturity on the surface, it becomes possible to take his actions seriously because they are all born out of love. Whether it’s love for a mermaid or love for times past, his affection for life and fervent belief in that affection feels relatable in some way. Using love as a common denominator, Malzieu sends out a beautiful message with almost inspirational undertones.

Conclusion: More than just a mermaid love story

All things considered, A Mermaid in Paris is simply a joyful exploration of being a believer, in whatever context you choose to sew that thought into. A part of me yearned for a deeper exploration of Lula’s death spell that she unknowingly cast on her peers, but that’s only a small blemish in an otherwise solid film. A Mermaid in Paris is a refreshingly original film about what it means to believe in the things you love, and in doing that, makes a strong argument of why you should love the film itself.