A Monster in Paris

Paris in 1910 is flooded and gloomy, and to make matters worse there's a scary creature on the loose. But, as this charming fantasy from the director of Shark Tale reveals, he's more of a misunderstood musician than a savage beast. Cinema projectionist Emile (voiced by Jay Harrington) and his extrovert inventor pal Raoul (Adam Goldberg) inadvertently create the monster that promptly escapes over the rooftops and is taken in by sympathetic chanteuse Lucille (Vanessa Paradis), who discovers his sensitive side. Meanwhile, evil Commissioner Maynott (Danny Huston) has a dastardly plan in mind. Director Bibo Bergeron (who returned to his native France after making his name in Hollywood) has crafted a beautiful love letter to Paris - the city's landmarks are shown off to great effect, and there's a keen sense of period. He also cleverly references early horror movies, with the monster's disguise bearing a passing resemblance to that of the Invisible Man. While the attempts at humour occasionally fall flat, there's plenty of excitement in the chase scenes and a refreshing lack of sentiment, and the movie is topped by bewitchingly memorable songs.