Paris: Je t'aime Review

 Paris JeT'Aime  (Paris, I Love You  2006)  is a collection of 18 under 5 minute vignettes from 20 or so international directors and an impressive name cast ruminating on love, longing, heartbreak, throughout various Paris neighborhoods.   

 Each of the 18 stories are separate and only a couple connect ever so slightly.  A couple of the stories stink... they don't work... they could have, should have been better but wind up as flat and missed opportunities (one is an intentionally baad vampire story with Elijah Wood).  Several of the stories... around 10 are pretty good, as in interesting enough, entertaining or affecting on some level  and 5 minutes is enough time.    4 or 5 stories however a truly superb little just rigfht vignettes that will stick with you for a long time.  They are responsible for lifting the movie above the  ‘not a bad little movie' class into... "hey, that was much better than I was expecting... hmmm might have to watch it again!"

In case you're a film buff or geek who pays attention to directors, I've listed all of the ones who participate in this project.  A few will surprise you.  Wes Craven did NOT direct the lousy vampire story, but rather directs a very interesting, memorable story involving a couple who visit Oscar Wilde's grave.   The Coen brothers employ Steve Buscemi and for a change do not kill him!!! (they usually allow Steve to die in their movies), though he doesn't escape unscathed.  It's a funny short taking place in the subway (Tulleries metro station).  Christopher Doyle delivers an odd surrealist tone poem moving through the Porte de Choisy asian beauty salons.   

Each of the 18 shorts take place in different Paris neighborhoods.  Sometimes the famous landmarks make and appearance, but usually in the background and not prominently featured.   There's a wonderfully sweet story involving a mime... yes a mime, and I loved it.   Bob Hoskins and Fanny Ardant play a lover's game through a red light district that has a wonderful visual punchline at its conclusion.  Best of them all we get a rich lesson in screenwriting and acting from Cassavetes veterans  Gena rowlands and Ben Gazzara, directed just right by Gerard Depardieu and Frederic Auburtin.   We learn about an elderly couples life and marriage in under five minutes.  They create full rich characters with a few lines of dialogue in under five minutes.    If for no other reason... see this movie for their scene....

I mentioned lots of recognizable actors appear here....: Juliette Binoche, Steve Buscemi, Willem Dafoe, Gerard Depardieu, Ben Gazzara, Nick Nolte, Natalie Portman, Gena Rowlands, Elijah Wood ,Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gaspard Ulliel and many others.

The directors: : Olivier Assayas, Gurinder Chadha, Sylvain Chomet, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Isabel Coixet, Wes Craven, Alfonso Cuaron, Gerard Depardieu, Christopher Doyle, Richard LaGravenese, Vincenzo Natali, Alexander Payne, Bruno Podalydes, Walter Salles, Oliver Schmitz, Nobuhiro Suwa, Daniela Thomas, Tom Tykwer, and Gus Van Sant

Enjoy....