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Urbane and colorful, the French dramedy Avenue Montaigne could pass for a Parisian Woody Allen comedy, without the punchlines. The original title is Orchestra Seats, which better reflects the film's central metaphor of choosing one's place in the theater of life. An engaging ensemble serves as Daniéle Thompson's attempted microcosm of life in the ritziest sector of Paris, captured in glorious location photography. A spritely working-class waitress traffics amongst a self-absorbed actress, a disillusioned concert pianist, and an old man about to sell off his art collection in an estate sale, among others. Essentially optimistic about pushing past life's struggles, Avenue Montaigne is pleasantly warm and fuzzy, but perhaps too readily lets its characters off the hook.
