goodbye petrushka movie review

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Goodbye, Petrushka Reviews

Nicola Rose’ entertaining and earnest romcom Goodbye, Petrushka features gorgeous animated sequences lifting a visually arresting story as does lead Lizzie Kehoe’s delicate and moving performance.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 27, 2023

Rose has made a charming and fun film that balances real heart with a clear vision of her characters.

Full Review | Oct 16, 2023

Delightful and refreshingly quirky in all the right ways, carried by a luminous lead performance. I have no doubt that fans of the rom-com genre will feel the same way.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 7, 2023

Goodbye, Petrushka is a compelling feature that plays to its strengths to create a lovingly made inspiring tale.

Full Review | Oct 7, 2023

The message at the end is a good one and something that romantic comedies may not often cover. The trouble is that in order to get there, the audience has to endure many cringeworthy moments which may leave them not caring so much about what happens.

Full Review | Sep 17, 2023

…a lovely film that deserves to be commended to the young at heart…

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 12, 2023

An occasionally cute, strained attempt at twee that never quite comes together or comes off.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Sep 6, 2023

Through her story, audiences are invited to consider whether our romantic view of the world can be sustained when it crashes against reality.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 30, 2022

Goodbye Petrushka isn’t a romantic comedy that follows the formula. It’s an indie comedy that stays within the boundaries of a lineal story that doesn’t call for much garnishing. It drives you think and care without giving much thought to it.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.3/5 | Sep 28, 2022

It’s not a perfect film, but it’s a very personal one.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Sep 15, 2022

For those of us who like romantic comedies, Goodbye, Petrushka falls amidst the genre’s smaller ones best described as quirky, wobbly, and bittersweet, yet it is adorned with a solid heart on its music box sleeve.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Aug 26, 2022

Despite the quirky or odd nature of the film, there is still a message buried within. It is about how most young people of that age do not know what direction they are going in. And that is okay. This will resonate with many who watch the film.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 25, 2022

Goodbye, Petrushka is a delightful coming-of-age story that balances realism with fantastical elements, creating a unique experience. Nicola Rose does great work-as writer and director-and I look forward to seeing her unique voice in the years to come.

Full Review | Aug 17, 2022

Goodbye, Petrushka is an unconventional love story, but love is hardly the only ingredient here, which makes it a much deeper experience. Likable characters and a sort of open ending sets it apart from old tiresome genre tropes.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Aug 5, 2022

The film leans heavily on its humor, supported by its effervescent leading lady, and it has a certain je ne sai quoi that makes it a joy to watch. Goodbye, Petrushka is a whimsical delight in every way.

Full Review | Jul 29, 2022

Exploring the ups and downs of ambition, along with excellently crafted supporting characters, Goodbye, Petrushka speaks to both the child at heart and the journey of finding oneself.

Goodbye, Petrushka (2022)

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Dances with Films Festival 2022: GOODBYE, PETRUSHKA

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Stephanie Archer is 39 year old film fanatic living in…

Too often, we may find ourselves looking for our purpose in life – the reason we are here. For many, this question will come out of a lack of direction or a sense of “knowing”. For others, this question is born out of the struggles experienced in the pursuit of one’s dreams and ambitions. If I was not meant to achieve that which I love to do, then what? Goodbye, Petrushka , from writer and director Nicola Rose , gives audiences a euphoric and effervescent look into the core of this question – both in the achieved and the achiever. Exploring the ups and downs of ambition, along with excellently crafted supporting characters, Goodbye, Petrushka speaks to both the child at heart and the journey of finding oneself.

Contrasting, yet paralleling introductions

Opening with the sounds of a music box, Goodbye, Petrushka establishes the sense of childhood innocence early on. It speaks to the inner child as the notes are familiar and deeply rooted, further creating a reminiscent atmosphere to the film. As the notes of the music box play on, audiences are introduced to Claire ( Lizzie Kehoe ) as she looks fondly at a puppet, its rigid structure and design reminiscent of the Tin Man from the Wizard of OZ . She delicately touches the blade of the figurine’s skate, the film transitioning to the real-life elegance of a male skater on ice.

Where the song of the music box matches the innocence of a child, so too does the classical to the elegance and power of the skater. There is a connection between the two felt early on, but as each is introduced individually, Goodbye, Petrushka is committed to continuing their development singularly for the first part of the film. As Thibault ( Thomas Vieljeux ) ends his practice, and subsequently the music, silence proves to be his undoing. As he slides down to the ice, a voiceover fills the void – “You had your 15 minutes”, “past your prime” and “now no one needs or wants to see you”. From this moment on, Thibault is a torn character, drowning under the weight of these words. Where his talent and love for the sport previously defined him, these words will now seemingly forever guide him.

The opening of Goodbye, Petrushka is not settled with the foreboding voice within Thibault’s head, bringing us straight into the safety and comfort of his home. There are no safe havens from the words or presence of his manager as he makes his way into a small apartment. As Thibault is making soup, a representational comfort food, his manager drives hard the idea that “old news goes out with the garbage” and that retirement needs to be accepted – or he would be made to accept it. As these words are drilled into Thibault and the audience, we are briefly brought back to Claire once more, her story waiting in the wings to be told.

As the world closes in on Thibault and his dreams within the sport, Goodbye, Petrushka fully introduces audiences to Claire, whose effervescent nature is immediately captured in the bright colors around her – a trademark element that the director Rose has retained from her previous short films. Blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals radiate the spirit within Claire, giving Goodbye, Petrushka its much-needed warmth. This trend of colors will carry throughout the film – especially as relationships blossom and new adventures are embraced.

Waking up late, Claire races off to her screenplay class with Professor Steve. Professor Steve, brought to life by Dhane Ross , is one of the stand-outs in the film, his eco-centric nature perfectly executed through the skill of the actor. While Professor Steve stands out in every scene he is in, what truly makes an impact is the treatment Claire receives from both him and her fellow classmates. Where Thibault is being told he is no longer good enough, Claire is facing the critique that she never was. And where Thibault yields to the perspectives of others, Claire, encouraged by her best friend Julia ( Casey Landman ), pushes onward, attempting to make the film she wants, eventually leaving for Paris to chase her dreams.

At the beginning of Goodbye, Petrushka , the film creates a sense of strife and turmoil, all wrapped within the representations of childhood innocence. It effectively establishes two parallel yet contrasting elements that will run throughout its central characters as well as its central core. It also develops strong supporting characters in Professor Steve and Julia, which will not only broaden the success of the film but elevate the interactions and narratives of its central characters.

As the narratives of Thibault and Claire intertwine in their united venture to combine puppetry and skating, what unfolds within Goodbye, Petrushka is a push and pull of desire and reality. Both Claire and Thibault each have individual and unified desires they want to come to fruition, but their own perceptions of reality and limitations hinder their success and ability to transcend the challenges around them. Yet, where one finds these challenges proof to assimilate, the other sees it as a new opportunity to break barriers.

A strong team behind the scenes

Goodbye, Petrushka is deeply rooted in the emotions of its two central characters of Claire and Thibault – a weight carried with ease by both Kehoe and Vieljeux . Kehoe brings to life and instills in Claire the necessary effervescent and bubbly persona that radiates in the film. While she has her moments of self doubt and defeat, Kehoe allows Claire to feel every emotion, each time imbuing her with the strength to get up and try again. Vieljeux delivers the pain and defeat with Thibault, his desires to remain in the world of skating marred by the perspectives of others. You can see the push and pull he experiences in his eyes, the light of hope that he can return to his passion challenged by the security and expectation of reality.

As mentioned earlier, Professor Steve is a scene-stealer, and actor Ross clearly enjoyed every moment of playing him. Where Professor Steve steals the scenes in America, it is Claire’s best friend Julia that steals them in Paris. Emulating the essence of Jenny Slate ’s Mona Lisa from Parks and Recreation , Landman is a standout all her own. Her character may be self-centered and, at times, lacking empathy, she boasts a big heart underneath it all. Landman commits to the role – so much so, that you may find yourself wanting to get to know Julia, even more, when the film concludes.

One of the most unique aspects of Goodbye, Petrushka is the film’s inclusion of animation. The feeling and idea of childhood innocence run through the core of the film, the animation keeping the feeling alive. It is not through the entirety of the film, however, finding its inclusion about halfway through, delivering the greatest strength to the idea that Thibault could return to skating and Claire could create art that audiences would love. The inclusion of the animation captures the idea of imagination, and the freedom it has to bring any dream and ambition to life. It is a form of expression outside ourselves, a world created by ourselves – but one we may not be able to be a part of.

Goodbye, Petruska navigates the turbulent experience of challenging reality with ambition, pushing past the naysayers to deliver something one can be proud of. Yet, while what we have envisioned may not come together as we had planned, Goodbye, Petrushka proves that sometimes, what we do create is something so much better. That our talent may be in seeing more than what we imagine for ourselves.

Have you seen Goodbye, Petrushka ? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!

Goodbye, Petrushka premiered at the Dances with Films Festival on June 12, 2022.

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Goodbye, Petrushka

By Alan Ng | September 10, 2022

I’m starting to believe there are two transitions we go through into adulthood, and I discovered this thanks to film. The first is the most obvious. During adolescence, our bodies go through a biological transformation. But long after the physical… years later… do we finally find the independence bestowed upon us as adults. In Nicola Rose’s feature film,  Goodbye, Petrushka , we follow a young woman’s awkward journey into being an adult and finding love in the process.

Claire (Lizzie Kehoe) is a college student who finds herself at a crossroads in life. She’s essentially being bullied in her playwriting class by her teacher and classmates and not given a chance to come into her own. Angry and depressed, Claire bumps into Thibaut (Thomas Vieljeux), a champion ice skater from France who was just forced to retire by some administrator. Claire thinks there’s a spark between her and Thibaut, but he disappears in a flash.

Frustrated to no end, Claire’s best friend, Julia (Casey Landman), tempts her to move with Julia to France for a fresh start. Then, maybe if the stars align, she’ll run into Thibaut. So, the plan is simple: move to France, work as an Au Pair, meet Julia’s famous puppeteer aunt to help her with her puppet play masterpiece, and maybe fall in love.

Though  Goodbye, Petrushka   is set up to be a Parisian romance, Nicola Rose’s story is more about Claire’s coming of age. When the protagonist thought she had left all her problems in America, she found they followed her to a new country. In Paris, she’s demoralized and bullied again by the parents of the children she watches. She then meets a French man with whom she gives her virginity during a storybook romance. Then, of course, she runs into Thibaut, who barely remembers her and is in a relationship with another woman.

“… move to France , work as an Au Pair…and maybe fall in love.”

Claire opens her heart to Thibaut through the puppet show she’s producing called  Goodbye, Petrushka . She wants Thibaut to find the passion he once had for ice skating by giving him a part in her play. In turn, Claire uses that passion to inspire his role in her play. Together, can our pair find more than love?

There’s a lot of story going on in  Goodbye, Petrushka , and a charm lies beneath it. Much of the film features Claire finally being an adult, finding her true purpose in life, and navigating a very complicated relationship while pining for Thibaut. For her first leading role, Lizzie Kehoe is excellent and engaging. While she and the cast’s lack of a lengthy acting CV shows through, Rose gets good performances from her inexperienced actors.

There’s an interesting storytelling device that the director uses that might interest indie filmmakers on a meager budget. As we know, Thibaut is a figure skater, and instead of showing world champion-level ice skating, these sequences are animated and used as dream sequences throughout the story.

Goodbye, Petrushka   is a heartfelt narrative and very much writer/director Nicola Rose’s story. It’s not a perfect film, but it’s a very personal one.

Goodbye, Petrushka  is available on most Video On Demand services. For more information, visit the  Goodbye, Petrushka  Facebook page. 

Goodbye, Petrushka (2022)

Directed and Written: Nicola Rose

Starring: Lizzie Kehoe, Thomas Vieljeux, Casey Landman, etc.

Movie score: 7/10

"…not a perfect film, but it's a very personal one."

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Goodbye, Petrushka

Where to Watch

Lizzie Kehoe (Claire) Thomas Vieljeux (Thibaut) Casey Landman (Julia) Bartek Szymanski (Rafal) Cat Grey (Trina) Joëlle Haddad Champeyroux (The Bureaucrat) Dhane Ross (Professor Steve) Matej Silecky (Ice Skater) Ed Cuffe (Mr. Defarge) Frédérique Nahmani (Alix Revanchelle (Babysitting Paris Lady)) Marine Assaiante (Madame St. Pierre) Mark A. Baum (Monsieur St. Pierre) Valeriya Korennaya (Grandmaman) Regine Mont-Louis (Khadija) Belle Henry (Elodie) Angelica Garson (Angélique) Etienne-Marcel Giannelli (Maxime) Kyle Hartford (Wilson)

Nicola Rose

Claire moves impulsively from NYC to Paris, where she nannies for the family from hell, battles wacky French bureaucrats, embarrasses herself in front of her Parisian crush and navigates a toxic relationship - among other faux pas.

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Screen Queens

July 28, 2022 • 0

‘Goodbye, Petrushka’: A Sweet And Whimsical Coming Of Age Story

Goodbye, Petrushka is a quirky take on aimless youth. The film revolves around 19-year-old Claire, played by Lizzie Kehoe, a New York City student who impulsively decides to move to Paris. Claire is a unique female protagonist, a reserved young woman with a love of puppetry. Kehoe has a sparkling presence with her high-watt smile and bright eyes. Her sugary sweet energy and earnest awkwardness are absolutely infectious.

A great source of humor in the film is one of the opening scenes where she must navigate a pretentious film class with students who are worried about the problematic elements of each other’s work and a teacher (the hilarious Dhane Ross) who just wants to promote his own movies. Claire would rather film her puppet shows. Frustrations at school lead to her hasty decision to travel overseas, along with her best friend Julia. Casey Landman is a bold force to be reckoned with in this kooky role—a boisterous and theatrical germaphobe. Landman deftly balances Julia’s self-centered eccentricity with genuine compassion for her friend.

Goodbye Petrushka flirts with the romance genre when Claire meets Thibaut (Thomas Vieljeux), a defeated ice skater who has been told he is past his prime. The darkly handsome Vieljeux has a pensive sensitivity that works well for the anguished role, and it provides a nice contrast to Kehoe’s bubbly personality. Both are connected by a passion for their craft. Thibaut and Claire quickly bond and plan to create a puppet/ice skating show, illustrated in cute animated sequences by Tommy Cha. Writer and director Nicola Rose defies genre expectations by placing the importance on bettering yourself rather than finding love, but the romantic tension between Claire and Thibaut throughout the film is intriguing. The misty piano score, reminiscent of a music box, coalescences the film’s elegant images of ballet, ice skating, and puppetry, as well as the themes of leaving childhood behind. 

Although Claire likes Thibaut, she also gets involved with a lanky student at the puppet conservatory (Bartek Szymanski). Unlike most coming-of-age films, the virginity loss plotline is handled in a grounded and authentic manner. It’s refreshing to see an “older” character go through a first-time sexual experience that has all the confusion and disappointment of real life. Rose is great at capturing these kinds of genuine, even discomfiting, moments but she seems to relish over-the-top (sometimes quite lengthy) set pieces and visual gags, such as the same actress who plays a woman that appears as a different character in various public places or the bratty children Claire babysits and throws puppet parties for.

The film leans heavily on its humour, supported by its effervescent leading lady, and it has a certain je ne sai quoi that makes it a joy to watch. Goodbye, Petrushka is a whimsical delight in every way.

Now available on Amazon Prime , Google Play , and YouTube .

By Caroline Madden

Caroline  is the author of  Springsteen as Soundtrack .  Her favourite films include  Dog Day Afternoon ,  Baby It’s You ,  Inside Llewyn Davis , and  The Lord of the Rings.  She is the Editor in Chief of Video Librarian. She has an MA degree in Cinema Studies from SCAD. You can follow her on Twitter  @crolinss. 

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Goodbye, petrushka.

2022 Directed by Nicola Rose

A comedy about growing up and screwing up... in two countries.

Claire moves impulsively from NYC to Paris, where she nannies for the family from hell, battles wacky French bureaucrats, embarrasses herself in front of her Parisian crush and navigates a toxic relationship - among other faux pas.

Lizzie Kehoe Thomas Vieljeux Casey Landman Bartek Szymanski Cat Grey Joëlle Haddad Champeyroux Frédérique Nahmani Dhane Ross Ed Cuffe Marine Assaiante Mark A. Baum Valeriya Korennaya Regine Mont-Louis Belle Henry Angelica Garson Matej Silecky Etienne-Marcel Giannelli Kyle Hartford Raquel Orendain Shrestha Nicola Rose Jacob Benton Yohan Azambre Tristan Grannum

Director Director

Nicola Rose

Assistant Director Asst. Director

Producers producers.

Jonathan Reed Wexler Tierney Boorboor Mark Mattson Nicola Rose Brett Bye Tommy Cha Randy Mamiaro Matt Belenky

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Ed Cuffe Mike Reuten Imraan Farukhi Mark A. Baum Mikhail Hogrefe Ian Schulz

Writer Writer

Editor editor, cinematography cinematography.

Omar Torres

Art Direction Art Direction

Erich Ficke Bryan Enright

Visual Effects Visual Effects

Composer composer.

Jeff Baxter

Sound Sound

Michael "Gonzo" Gandsey Anna Khromova

Makeup Makeup

Paige Rabinowitz

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Parsley Productions Cufflink Productions Baum18 Media Irrational Productions

Primary Language

Spoken languages.

English French Spanish

Releases by Date

12 jun 2022, releases by country.

• Premiere Los Angeles, California

97 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by cidclarity ★★★

she made ay move now its my turn something memorable no reason for that

beside getting some contact she got that i hate this feeling what she do to me

Review by Douglas Davidson ★★★

After spending time on the festival circuit, writer/director Nicola Rose’s feature-length directorial debut, "Goodbye, Petrushka," hit VOD and digital in July of 2022. Utilizing mixed media and multiple genres, Rose’s film explores growing up via a romantic lens, both literal and descriptive. Who among us didn’t once wear rose-colored glasses, presuming that the grass *must* be better in a place that holds our imaginations and, perhaps, even our hearts. Through her story, audiences are invited to consider whether our romantic view of the world can be sustained when it crashes against reality.

Available on VOD and digital July 21st, 2022.

Head to EoM for the complete spoiler-free review: elementsofmadness.com/2022/09/30/goodbye-petrushka/

Review by Rob ★

I went in with a fairly open mind after a friend told me to check this one out but my word it was painful, the first 15-20 minutes alone made me nearly give up and switch off. It was beyond cliched and full of horribly toxic characters and stereotypes.

Another Hallmark styled rom-com where there is an absolute abundance of annoying music leading into and around dialogue.

The nasty and racial French stereotypes are horrible, completely toxic.

Not what I was in the mood for at all and absolutely not worth your time either.

——————————————————————————————

Another instance of a movie with fake IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes ratings and reviews... that are also beginning to creep onto Letterboxd too.

Review by katyisaladybug ★★★★

CUTE STUFF. Lizzie Kehoe and Thomas Vieljeux (I worked w/ him! I know him! 🤩) put their souls into this thing. That scene with Khadija, Madame St. Pierre and the mother was hysterical. Cool camera choices and beautiful animation to boot. Nicola Rose does a lot of producing in NYC - she’s even produced a short I was in. Like Claire says at the end, happy to see her put herself first ‘cause man, she’s got a VOICE.

Review by lucyphilpott ★

i just dont care about any of these people

Review by noodlekid515

My MoMS SONG pLAYS AT THE END

Review by evil creature ★★★★½

only people with autism get it

Review by raphaelite ★

a living nightmare movie this is so horrible... it wasnt even type 2 fun just straight up an entire runtime of a girl getting abused by french people

Review by ialwaysmanage ★★★★★

This is a really sweet, quirky, odd coming of age film. The humor is different — it grows on you and then you’re right there with it. You cheer on the leading lady through her highs and lows and you are so happy for how it ends. Lizzie Kehoe and Thomas Vieljeux have lovely chemistry as the leads, Bartek Szymanski and Casey Landman are true standouts in the supporting roles, and there is truly no weak link in the ensemble. There aren’t many movies like this. Well worth watching.

Review by bryanenright ★★★★★

Damn good indie film with heart

Review by William Eguizabal ★★★

www.filmsnobreviews.com/2023/11/review-goodbye-petrushka/

Review by BRWC ★★

The message at the end is a good one and something that romantic comedies may not often cover. The trouble is that in order to get there, the audience has to endure many cringeworthy moments which may leave them not caring so much about what happens.

battleroyalewithcheese.com/2023/09/goodbye-petrushka-review/

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Goodbye, Petrushka

Film review, jason knight.

Mar 3, 2024

Directed by:

Nicola rose, written by:, lizzie kehoe, thomas vieljeux, casey landman, bartek szymanski, cat grey.

An American student goes to Paris in order to pursue a project involving puppets and skating and ends up dealing with numerous complications.

Claire (Kehoe) is a film student in New York City and she has a passion for puppetry and is quite fond of Paris. Unfortunately, her ideas are not accepted by her tutor and fellow students and she decides that the time has finally come to go to Paris and work at the Puppetry Arts Institute of Paris. So she does just that, accompanied by Julia (Landman), her awkward best friend. In France, she gets into contact with Thibaut (Vieljeux), a former figure skating champion who she recently met by chance back in the U.S. and convinces him to work on a project she has in mind that will involve combining her puppetry skills and his skating experience and the Petrushka ballet by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky.

This comedy drama plot combines chasing dreams, self-discovery and romance. Poor Claire has to deal with quite a lot in Paris: being a foreigner, she struggles to fit in due to language barrier and she works as an au pair for a French family who does not approve of her. In addition to all this, she discovers that Thibaut (who is she quite fond of) has a partner (Grey) and he has lost his passion for skating because he believes that he is now past his prime and now works at a bank. Disappointed, Claire begins a relationship with Rafal (Szymanski), a student at the Institute, while Thibeut reconsiders his life's choices. The screenplay includes awkward moments and the well-written dialogue deserves praise. The rapport that develops between Claire and Thibaut is the main center of the narrative, exploring how these two individuals are affecting each other.

Claire is a friendly person who wants to pursue her goals and faces all sorts of problems will trying to do so. Thibaut has abandoned his passion and lives a life that he does not really want. That contradiction creates the main conflict of the story: two people come together and one wants to make their dreams a reality while the other is done with that and the viewer will most likely sympathise with the two main leads. Landman's character is quite intriguing: a childish young woman who is a germophobe, believes in other-worldly beings and is filled with mostly silly advice.

The rich soundtrack is one of the best aspects of this feature as it contains wonderful pieces by artists such as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Frederic Chopin which fit very effectively in the film, creating pleasant experiences.

The lovely animation sequences are another big plus, which are based on Stravinsky's ballet mentioned above. Filled with beautiful colours, they take the viewer on a short but magical journey.

It is worth mentioning that as puppetry plays a significant part in this film, there are plenty of those to be seen, some of which look good, others not so good.

This is a funny and emotional story that significantly focuses on self-discovery and the pursuit of dreams. It is a heart-warming film with two likeable leads, splendid music and it touches on the joys of the worlds of puppetry and ice skating.

About the Film Critic

Indie Feature Film

Goodbye, Petrushka (Indie Rights) [Film Review]

A little film with a big heart, Nicola Rose’s debut feature film, ‘Goodbye, Petrushka,’ is a cute slice of escapism that, on the whole, just like Cupid, hits the mark.

Nicola Rose’s debut feature Goodbye, Petrushka is a little film with a big heart.

It tells the story of Claire ( Lizzie Kehoe ), a struggling New York puppeteer who by chance bumps into a similarly struggling figure skater, Thibaut ( Thomas Vieljeux ), from Paris. Her film studies course is going about as well as her puppet skills, so she hedges her bets and follows her heart to Paris to seek out the man of her dreams.

The pair strike up an unlikely allegiance and plan a show combining puppets and ice skating.

A loose homage to the French New Wave follows, with echoes of Agnes Varda ’s Cleo from 5 to 7 . However, where those New Wave characters exude cool, Rose’s characters emit a high level of dappiness, bordering on the unhinged.

If you enjoy over-acting and impossible romance, then there is much to enjoy here, but there is a danger that if you are more a fan of less OTT comedy, you may become irritated before long.

Claire’s friend and mentor in love, Julia ( Casey Landman ), is both funny and charming, but also loud and neurotic, take your pick. Her offer of a pair of condom tights to Claire is bordering on the insane.

Whilst the acting is a little hokey, an early scene between Thibaut and his agent is particularly creaky, the narrative is sweet enough to win you over. The Paris scenes (which I am convinced are shot in New York with some stock establishing shots to glue them together) are also charming, and the indie/low-budget nature of the film helps us to forgive some of these slight shortcomings.

Minor characters pad out the cast in some awkward love scenes, and Joëlle Haddad Champeyroux plays every receptionist in the film, a bizarre but successful directorial decision. The family whom Claire works for as an au pair is a little grotesque for the otherwise sweet tone of the film, and her encounters with children and their parents are overtly sinister and unpleasant. It becomes, at times, a cross between Matilda , Coraline and Amelie . This does add an extra dimension to the film, however, and holds interest effectively.

It’s a kind of Sunday night movie that somehow stays in your head afterwards, a little bit longer than you would expect. It’s meant to be daft and that’s what makes it endearing. Whilst there is no great underlying message beyond the romantic meanderings of some unlikely love interests, it is a cute slice of escapism that, on the whole, just like Cupid, hits the mark.

For more information on the film, visit the Official Facebook Page .

Goodbye, Petrushka movie poster

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Del Pike is a University lecturer in Film and Media in Liverpool (UK). He writes film, music, art, literature and culture articles and reviews for a number of websites. Del loves nothing more than snuggling down in a dark cinema, getting sweaty at  a live gig or drifting off late at night to a good book. He loves cats. He enjoys promoting new talent online so please say hi if you have something to show.

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Goodbye, Petrushka: Review

Claire ( Lizzie Kehoe ) dreams of working in the performing arts. She studies in New York and has a fascination for puppets, but after her tutor suggests that it may not be for her, she decides to do something drastic.

The French tale of Petrushka has always fascinated her, so after a quick consultation with her best friend, Julia ( Casey Landman ), she decides to move to Paris to become an au pair. However, once she gets there, she starts to realise that her dream has quickly become a living nightmare.

Goodbye, Petrushka is a romantic comedy written and directed by Nicola Rose . Something which would fit into a more mainstream cinema under any other circumstances.

The trouble is that there are a lot of things to get past for the audience to truly enjoy the movie. Firstly, there’s Claire and her best friend Julia, a couple of young women with their own desires of a perfect life. However, the former’s behaviour ends up falling into the stalker territory when she meets Thibaut ( Thomas Vieljeux ) and the latter is supposed to be comic relief, but she’s written as possibly the most annoying character in the movie.

Whereas the point of the movie may be that the characters mostly correct their behaviour by the end, this doesn’t make them endearing to watch. This is evident as Claire’s behaviour becomes problematic right from the start and she’s blissfully unaware. The same could be said for Thibaut as well as his own toxic relationship may make audiences scream for him to do the right thing.

Then we get around to the love triangle with her co-worker, Rafal ( Bartek Szymanski ) and he comes across as so creepy that the audience will immediately know that there’s something wrong. The kind of movie which may have good intentions at heart, but the execution feels all wrong.

The message at the end is a good one and something that romantic comedies may not often cover. The trouble is that in order to get there, the audience has to endure many cringeworthy moments which may leave them not caring so much about what happens.

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Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Goodbye, petrushka: movie review.

FilmSnobReviews

Review: Goodbye, Petrushka

Title: Goodbye, Petrushka MPA Rating: Not Rated Director: Nicola Rose Starring: Lizzie Kehoe, Thomas Vieljeux, Casey Landman Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins

What It Is: Claire is quite clear on her goal. She wants to be a puppeteer. To do that she feels as though she must move from New York City to Paris. RIGHT before her big move she meets French former figure skater Thibaut (Vieljeux). When the two meet again in the City of Lights they agree (Thibaut rather reluctantly) to work together on a puppet show starring Thibaut as the lead character Petrushka. But what are Claire intentions, outside of needing a lead for her puppet show?

What We Think: Director Nicola Rose’s story is a simple one and that simplicity is what MAKE the film. Lizzie Kehoe is a VERY likable lead and as we run through the modest runtime we grow to like Claire more and more and that’s a testament to her work here. The actual script is honestly fine. It gets to it’s points I would only say that my biggest criticism is Rafal as a character. His is a character that isn’t likable, isn’t well put together enough to be the absolute villain he is. It doesn’t feel THAT earned yet.

Our Grade: B-, I REALLY like this. Thanks and praise should be poured on to Nicola Rose for the job she does here. She takes this simple premise, simple set up and guides it with such a steady hand. Her work here far out ways her experience. This is her feature debut. A really well made film, a really fun little story and it all caps off with the ending that dropped this from a solid B+ to a B-. This is one to certainly check out. It is on Prime Video and well worth the easy 100 minutes of its runtime.

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