An anthology film featuring several short segments about finding or losing love in Paris, each directed by a different director, some known to me, some not, and a host of actors, some known to me, some not.
A couple of the stories land with a thud while some are quite nice. Most of them are pretty melancholy, but Gus Van Sant does direct a rather funny episode about a French man who thinks he finds his soul mate in another young man and talks his ear off, not realizing that the other man doesn't understand a word of French. Catalina Sandino Moreno gives a lovely performance in an achingly sad story about a poor young mother who travels across the city every day to take care of a wealthy lady's baby, leaving her own baby in the care of others. Ben Gazzara and Gena Rowlands do terrific work in a segment about a separated couple meeting in a restaurant to finalize their divorce. Maggie Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman are two of the more famous faces in the film, but they don't get very good material to work with. There's a Gothic vampire segment starring Elijah Wood and a just plain weird story directed by Joel Coen and starring Steve Buscemi. Those of you who go to the film hoping to see the sights of Paris may be disappointed, as much of the action takes place in the confines of restaurants and homes, or in parts of the city that don't have any of the most recognizable landmarks.
By far my favorite segment is the last one in the film, written and directed by Alexander Payne and starring the marvelous Margo Martindale. Martindale plays a dumpy American tourist who travels to Paris by herself earnestly seeking a European adventure. Any American who has traveled abroad hoping not to be instantly recognizable as an American should be able to relate. This segment is the only thing about this diverting but rather forgettable movie that stuck with me.
Grade: B
A couple of the stories land with a thud while some are quite nice. Most of them are pretty melancholy, but Gus Van Sant does direct a rather funny episode about a French man who thinks he finds his soul mate in another young man and talks his ear off, not realizing that the other man doesn't understand a word of French. Catalina Sandino Moreno gives a lovely performance in an achingly sad story about a poor young mother who travels across the city every day to take care of a wealthy lady's baby, leaving her own baby in the care of others. Ben Gazzara and Gena Rowlands do terrific work in a segment about a separated couple meeting in a restaurant to finalize their divorce. Maggie Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman are two of the more famous faces in the film, but they don't get very good material to work with. There's a Gothic vampire segment starring Elijah Wood and a just plain weird story directed by Joel Coen and starring Steve Buscemi. Those of you who go to the film hoping to see the sights of Paris may be disappointed, as much of the action takes place in the confines of restaurants and homes, or in parts of the city that don't have any of the most recognizable landmarks.
By far my favorite segment is the last one in the film, written and directed by Alexander Payne and starring the marvelous Margo Martindale. Martindale plays a dumpy American tourist who travels to Paris by herself earnestly seeking a European adventure. Any American who has traveled abroad hoping not to be instantly recognizable as an American should be able to relate. This segment is the only thing about this diverting but rather forgettable movie that stuck with me.
Grade: B