Russian Dolls (2005)

Romain Duris: Xavier Rousseau

Photos 

Quotes 

• Xavier : If I think about all the girls I've known or slept with or just desired, they're like a bunch of Russian dolls. We spend our lives playing the game dying to know who'll be the last, the teeny-tiny one hidden inside all the others. You can't just get to her right away. You have to follow the progression. You have to open them one by one wondering, "Is she the last one?"

• Xavier : Those 12 seconds... In movies, most love stories end there. It's better not to show what comes next. But that's the interesting part.

• Xavier : She must have really been in love to get to this. How can so many sincere moments, one after the other, lead to such misery... who'd want that?

• William : [upon arrival in Paris to visit Xavier] 

  [in French] 

  William : Hello Paris! I'm a Parisian! Gimme some escargot and red wine!

  Xavier : Hey, my scooter is over there.

  William : Oh, ok, you got my scooter.

  [sees some girls walking by and speaks to them in French] 

  William : Do you speak French?

  [one girl says yes in French] 

  William : Wanna sleep with me? Always wanted to say that to a French girl!

• William : Yeah. So, come on, Xavier, what about you?

  Xavier : It's uh... well, uh, it's complicated. I-I have to rewrite a script in English, so I'll probably have to work with some English writers I don't know.

  William : You know, I know the best writer in London.

  Xavier : Really?

  William : Yeah. She's very very good. And she's fit.

  Xavier : What - what is "fit"?

  William : It's very very sexy.

  Xavier : What's her name?

  William : Her name's um... Wendy.

  Xavier : Wendy? Your sister Wendy?

  William : Yeah, yeah. She's also my sister, yeah.

• Wendy : This is the best view of London. You see the London Eye there?

  Xavier : Oh... Where is Oxford Street.

  Wendy : Are you alright?

  Xavier : I don't know... I don't feel great. Are you going to this flamenco concert?

  Wendy : I don't know. Why not?

  Xavier : Oh.

  Wendy : What's wrong?... Look I can see something's wrong. What's wrong?

  Xavier : [grabs Wendy and kisses her]  That's what's wrong.

• Martine : Morning! Thank you. I'm happy I stayed with you.

  Xavier : Yeah, but you can't stay. I'm expecting a girl... friend.

  Martine : It's no big deal. Just tell her the truth. We're old friends and we didn't fuck.

  Xavier : Yeah, sure.

  Martine : She's your girlfriend?

  Xavier : Uh... yeah.

  Martine : You have a girlfriend?

  Xavier : No, not really.

  Martine : Is she your girlfriend or not?

  Xavier : I don't have a girlfriend, I have girlfriends.

  Martine : Do you have a girlfriend or not?

  Xavier : I don't have one. I have lots. Is that clear?

  Martine : Oh! I forgot how you were. Flip out on your own time. I'm outta here.

  Xavier : Well, yeah. She's on her way. It'll be a mess. I have a life. Last night you didn't give me a chance to explain that I had to juggle things this morning.

  [...] 

  Xavier : Bye. I'm sorry. I was afraid you'd run into her.

  Martine : I understand.

  Xavier : [opens the door so Martine can leave and Kassia is on the other side]  Fuck!

  Kassia : Who is she?

  Xavier : No one.

  Martine : I'm no one. I'm no one? You have your life, I have mine. No problem! But you'll always be someone to me. Always! In anyone's presence.

  [Leaves] 

• Wendy : [watching Natacha dance]  Now which one...?

  William : That one there. Look.

  Wendy : The one on the end?

  William : No. Look. Right... Second from the left.

  Xavier : The blonde one?

  Wendy : But they're all blonde!

  William : That one! See, look. Second from the left. That one.

  Xavier : Right. Yeah. Ok. I see her.

  Wendy : They all look the same.

  William : No, they don't. She's a great dancer.

  Xavier : Who?

• Xavier : No, it's difficult. It's not the same in the story and in real life.

  Wendy : So then tell me more about real life. I wanna know what really happened to you. What actually made you fall in love with one specific girl-why her in particular?

  Xavier : Okay. So. Do you remember Neus?

  Wendy : Yes.

  Xavier : So, she came to Paris to study one year after we left Barcelona. My idea had been to take a little stroll to show her Paris. As time went on, I sensed we didn't want to separate. We didn't want just a little stroll. We wanted a much longer stroll. At one moment, I don't know why. I don't know how, this happened.

  [They hesitantly hold hands] 

  Xavier : I felt her hand say, "Really? Are you sure?" And my hands said, "I'm sure. I want to, and I sense you do, too."

• Xavier : Not to be too insistent... this really isn't for my girlfriend.

  Kassia : It's no biggie. Who cares?

  Xavier : I don't have a girlfriend. It's for my ex. It's her birthday. I'll give you my number.

  Kassia : For...?

  Xavier : I don't know. If the dress doesn't fit you can call me. No. I don't know. I've always dreamed of doing that but I never dared. With you, I thought I should dare. Take it, 'cause I feel like a jerk. I'll jot it down. But you have to call tonight or you never will. There.

  Kassia : I don't know.

  Xavier : Yes, yes! You've got nothing to lose. If I were you I'd call me.

• Xavier : ...it was like we had to go through that. Like going through all that wacky shit reassured us somehow- it proved we were in love.

• Xavier : Mr. Everyman is seldom met in... everyday life.

• Xavier : What's all this shit about love? How do we get so nuts? The time we waste! When you're alone, you cry, "Will I find her?" When you're not- "Does she love me as much as I love her?" "Can we love more than one person in a lifetime?" Why do we split up? All these fucking questions! You can't say we're uninformed. We read love stories, fairy tales, novels. We watch movies. Love, love, love...!

  Isabelle : You could just call her back

• Xavier : So who should say I love you?

  Wendy : You should say I love you

  Xavier : No, you sould say I love you

• Xavier : If I were you I would call me.

• William : The very first time I saw her I knew at that point, cross my heart hope to die... my life'd never be the same again.

  Xavier : [Xavier thinks]  Ok that's it a love story is first of all a story.

  William : Yeah, well, she just appeared in my life, just like an angel. Probably sounds a bit stupid.

  Xavier : No, no, not at all. Go ahead.

  William : Well, we saw each other everyday before and after each performance. And I would watch the show every single night, and the only person I could see was her... That Russian company played there for 2 weeks, and eventually of course, you know, they had to move on. And I realized I didn't even know her name. I didn't have an address, a number, nothing!

  Xavier : So, so you saw her again? You went to St. Petersburg?

  William : Yeah... but it took me a year to get there.

  Xavier : Why?

  William : Well, because I had to learn Russian for a year first!

  Xavier : You?

• Kassia : What's your girlfriend like?

  Xavier : It's not for my girlfriend? I don't have a girlfriend.

  Kassia : What's this girl who's not your girlfriend like?

  Xavier : She's a little shorter than you. She has smaller... I mean... I think she's a size one or two.

  Kassia : It depends. Is she thinner than I am? Is she like that girl?

  Kassia : No.

  [looks around] 

  Xavier : She's more like her. But not as ugly.

  Kassia : Take the two. Your girlfriend can always exchange it. The register's over there.

• Kassia : Who is she?

  Xavier : No - my ex, Martine.

  Kassia : Not so "ex."

  Xavier : She's my ex. It's over. Come in.

  Kassia : One in, one out... That doesn't bother you at all.

  Xavier : You don't understand.

  Kassia : You just line 'em up and don't give a fuck.

  Xavier : Exactly. If you don't like it, take a hike.

  Kassia : What?

  Xavier : Yeah! You're all fucking, stupid bitches! You got that? Now get lost!

  Kassia : Asshole.

  Xavier : YEAH, I'M AN ASSHOLE.