"Russian Dolls" is a new sequel to "L’ Auberg Espagnole" which came out in the United States in 2003. It features many of the same stars as that film, and it takes place five years later.

This film also has some of the same "flashy for their own sake" techniques that call attention to themselves, including prominent fast motion sequences, and fantasy sequences that are abruptly interjected into the "real" narrative. It’s still fun, but somehow it all seems a little less fresh than its predecessor. It is as tired as a "Friends" episode made years after the show’s prime.

"Russian Dolls" focuses on Xavier (Romain Duras), a shallow thirty- something stud who hasn’t changed all that much since the last film. He’s still the same womanizer who effortlessly gets sex from a large number of willing and beautiful women. He could be the second cousin of the main character in Truffaut’s "The Man Who Loved Women," but with half the charm. At his age he should probably know better. He’s the type of irresistible cad that all gives males a bad name.

In "L’ Auberg Espagnole," Xavier lived in an apartment with his buddies who were very pleased that they were young, cool, and in Europe. Now, he has become a financially successful screenplay writer living in England. He makes good money penning scripts for idiotic soap operas, as well as ghostwriting a bio for a brainless but beautiful model (how’s that for originality?).

Audrey Tautou (who was used well in "Amelie," but was wasted in the abysmal "The Da Vinci Code") reprises her role as Martine, his smart, compassionate, and socially conscious girlfriend who tries to make him evolve and actually become a human being. She leads a fulfilling life, raising a child and fighting for environmentalist causes.

But Xavier is also attracted to a lovely immigrant from Senegal named Cassia who works as a sales clerk. All the women in the film are too good for him, and viewers may hope he will lose them all.

"Russian Dolls" is a pleasant enough diversion, but it suffers from the same malady as "Amelie" (which I admit was a better film). It’s a little too cute, cuddly, and sweet for its own good.