2 DAYS IN PARIS
(R)
MOVIE: *1/2 (out of 5)
DVD EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5)
STARRING
Julie Delpy as MARION
Adam Goldberg as JACK
Daniel Bruhl as LUKAS
Marie Pillet as ANNA
Albert Delpy as JEANNOT
Aleksia Landeau as ROSE
Directed by: Julie Delpy
Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Films
BY KEVIN CARR
I can’t say that I liked “2 Days in Paris,” but at the very least I can say that I respected it a bit. The film is directed by actress Julie Delpy, and in many ways, it reeks of a first-time director… even though she’s directed before in the past. However, the level of pretension, political ignorance and self-retrospect makes it too heavy to really enjoy.
The story follows a multinational couple in Paris for a few days. Marion (Delpy) grew up in Paris and is welcoming a trip home. Her boyfriend Jack (Adam Goldberg) is liberal American through-and-through, and while he adores the European intellectualism, he’s not quite fitting into the Paris scene. As they deal with Marion’s parents, friends and ex-boyfriends, Jack begins to question their relationship.
Ultimately, Delpy makes mistakes in this film by providing unnecessary narration (a huge red flag of an inexperienced writer/director) and assumptions about the audience from politics to sexual awareness. While the film isn’t a political movie, the ultra-liberal bias waterlogs the picture.
For example, in one scene, Jack purposefully gives wrong directions to the Louvre to a tourist because she’s wearing a Bush/Cheney shirt and gabbing about “The Da Vinci Code” (which makes very little sense because I doubt even the most ardent Bush supporter is going to wear an out-of-date campaign shirt on a trip to Paris). The political relativism continues as Marion’s father routinely keys cars because he disagrees with their impact on the environment. All of this seems to be okay in Delpy’s mind because these people deserve less respect for their politics.
Yet when a cab driver makes some fascist remarks, her character blows up at him. I suppose Delpy thinks that political opinions should only be respected if she agrees with them.
The film continues to break down as the characters, well in their 30s, are unable to resolve even their most basic issues of trust and intimacy. Adam Goldberg is funny at times, but he channels Woody Allen too much and is to arrogant, confused and obnoxious to actually empathize with.
With all that said, I respect the fact that Delpy is making her own films in her own voice. It may not be intended for me as an audience, but she’s doing more with her career than simply fading into obscurity, and I can definitely respect that.
The DVD comes with several deleted scenes and an extensive (and sometimes a little too self-congratulatory) interview with Delpy about the making of the film.