At 28, Thomas Seyr has followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming a strong-arm real estate mogul in Paris — acquiring property through threats and intimidation and collecting debts with the same kind of thuggery.

But a chance meeting in a theater lobby provides Tom with a different path — following the example of his late mother and becoming a concert pianist. Studying piano again after a decade of not playing, Tom starts to find himself, but his life begins to fall apart, torn in the dichotomy between the worlds he tries to inhabit.

That’s the gist of “The Beat That My Heart Skipped,” a striking character study from French director Jacques Audiard that powerfully updates James Toback’s 1978 cult noir “Fingers,” while showing a Paris that is far from its usual portrayal as a glamorous city of romance.

Anchoring the film is Romain Duris, who gives an impressive portrayal of Tom, a nervous, edgy guy who never stops moving and never stops thinking and worrying. As the film opens, we see Tom and his partners doing their work, rousting squatters from a building they intend to buy, laughing about it in bars, negotiating deals and arguing over who gets what percentage of the deal.

We also soon meet Tom’s father Robert (Niels Arestrup), an aging slumlord who announces to his son he’s going to marry an actress/catalog model (Emmanuelle Devos). Tom promptly pronounces her a whore and leaves the restaurant.

That behavior is typical until Tom is driving by a theater where he crosses paths with his mother’s former manager. The man offers him a tryout as a pianist, a chance at a better life. But he can’t get there alone, so he starts to see piano coach Miao-Lin (Linh-Dan Pham), a Vietnamese immigrant who doesn’t speak French.

Tom’s gifts at the piano are obvious, even if he’s rusty. But his job keeps interfering with his piano studies, and his piano studies keep interfering with his job. Further complicating matters is his partner Fabrice (Jonathan Zacci), who uses Tom to cover for his womanizing. When Fabrice’s wife (Aure Atika) finally confronts Tom about her husband’s affairs, Tom heads down another dangerous path.

As is the case with all good noirs, “The Beat That My Heart Skipped” doesn’t have a happy ending. Nor is its conclusion particularly tragic or even sad. Rather it is ambiguous, reflecting the life of its central character and the choices and troubles still awaiting Tom.

That’s not the kind of story that comes out of Hollywood these days — which is one good reason to recommend the film.

But “The Beat My Heart Skipped” is more than just an alternative to typical mindless movies. It has a near-perfect dark feel, a jumbled sensibility that reflects Tom’s inner as well as outer life, and is carried by a performance that is strong enough to make you care about what happens to Tom even though he’s really not a good guy on many levels.

The Paris seen here is void of the famous landmarks, a city of rundown buildings, little shops and small, less-than-impressive restaurants. That’s not the picture postcard view, but it’s probably far closer to the Paris the city’s residents actually see every day.

“The Beat That My Heart Skipped” also operates on a deeper level, raising questions about family, sacrifice and the struggle between art, which may or may not pay the bills, and commerce, which comes up with money but can be life-sapping. The picture clearly sides with art. But the ambiguous ending finds Tom again trapped between the worlds of his mother and father, still trying to determine what to do with his life and his talent.

Reach L. Kent Wolgamott at 473-7244 or kwolgamott@journalstar.com.