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Genre:
Drama/Comedy/Romance
Director: Julie Delpy
Cast: Julie Delpy, Adam Goldberg, Daniel
Brühl, Albert Delpy, Adan Jodorowsky
RunTime: 1 hr 36 mins
Released By: The Picturehouse
Rating: M18 (Sexual References)
Official Website: http://www.2daysinparisthefilm.com/
Opening Day: 22 November 2007
Synopsis:
"2 Days in Paris" follows two days in the relationship
of a New York based couple; a French photographer Marion (Delpy)
and American interior designer Jack (Goldberg), as they attempt
to re-infuse their relationship with romance by taking a vacation
in Europe. Their trip to Venice didn't really work out--they
both came down with gastroenteritis. They have higher hopes
for Paris. But the combination of Marion's overbearing non-English
speaking parents', flirtatious ex-boyfriends', and Jack's
obsession with photographing every famous Parisian tombstone
and conviction that French condoms are too small, only adds
fuel to the fire. Will they be able to salvage their relationship?
Will they ever have sex again? Or will they merely manage
to perfect the art of arguing?
Movie Review:
Both “Before Sunset” and “2 Days in Paris”
share many common traits (subject matter and focus amongst
other things), and are inevitably compared – The latter
is Julie Delpy’s directorial debut, who also was staff
writer for the former. And though the Oscar winning “Before
Sunset” remians the stronger film, one finds “2
Days in Paris” to be a surprising delight.
Here, we truly get up close and personal into the couple’s
lives. Every aspect is closely scrutinised and there is no
reprieve. We are stuck with the couple in their 48-hour sojourn
in Paris and their penchant for incessant and excessive verbal
diarrhea. You strain to keep up, at times totally lost when
the French bits don’t get subtitled – but it is
all smart, witty and very funny. It’s been awhile since
a really clever film is able to make the audience laugh out
loud. You won’t mind it at all.
The plot revolves around a couple, one-part French in the
form of Marion (Delpy) and the other American, Jack (Goldberg).
After a disastrous holiday in Venice, the duo descends on
Marion’s hometown in Paris for two days, hoping that
things will get better. The rule of comedy dictates that no
such luck will ever befall them. It involves a kind of culture
shock, the audience is Jack, trying to grapple with Marion’s
neuroticism and being enveloped and overwhelmed by French
language and culture. The couple, and the audience, finally
realise that although they have been together for two years,
Parisian events point to a bone of contention - that they
do not know each other at all.
It is a close and insightful look (at times too close for
comfort) at relationships. The audience readily identifies
with the couple, sometimes Marion but Jack, and it is this
oscillation that causes us to engage in quiet reflection in
our own relationships.
I cannot put my finger on the acting. Personally, it seemed
too real to be a matter of excellent thespian skill, almost
as if it was an entire exercise in improvisation. Not to say
it was not good, on the contrary, it worked on many levels,
and realism did set in. Perhaps this will be Delpy’s
blossoming directing style – natural and distinctive,
with casual camera work and sound editing.
However, the film does seem to lose steam as it progressed
to its serious finale. The explosiveness and brilliance of
the opening acts are hard to follow and it did seemed that
the production team (as well as its actors) were running out
of ideas and energy (perhaps attributed to the short four
weeks of production).
Movie
Rating:
(Surprisingly
delightful)
Review by Darren Sim
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