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by Jim Pappas Published: May 3, 2007
The first piece of the overall puzzle that is "Paris, je t'aime" is titled “Montemarte.” It is written and directed by Bruno Podalydes and stars himself and Florence Muller as a man and a woman brought together by fate. The man sits alone in his car, lamenting the fact that he has no luck with love, and faster than you can gobble down a croissant, his luck changes in dramatic fashion. This sets the tone for the rest of the film, as one realizes there is no acrimony present, and love is definitely in the air. The second segment was one of only two of the mini-films that I felt had any sort of political undertone, and that undertone is certainly benign. Titled “Quais De Seine,” it features a young Muslim girl and an equally young Caucasian boy, played in exquisite fashion by Leila Bekhti and Cyril Descours respectively, who play the game of love as only teenagers can. The message I feel writer and director Gurinder Chadha was delivering with his piece was the good and true one of, “love conquers all.” The filmettes (I think I’m making up a word here) touch upon a host of emotions and many of the conceptual aspects of love. For instance there is the surreal, with “Porte De Choisy,” which is written and directed by Christopher Doyle in collaboration with Gabrielle Keng Peralta and Rain Kathy Li, and stars Barbet Schroeder and Li Xin. This one is both an ode to love and Hong Kong action films, I think. There is the teasing misdirection of “Parc Monceau,” written and directed by Alfonso Cuaron, where an American man, played by Nick Nolte, hurries to meet a young woman (Ludivine Sagnier as Claire). And the gothic is represented well by “Quartier De La Madeleine, written/directed by Vincenzo Natali,” in which a young man (Elijah Wood) finds the kind of love only a vampire can offer (Olga Kurylenko as the “lady of the evening”). And later on we get kinky in “Pigalle,” starring Bob Hoskins and Fanny Ardant as a couple whose love life has taken a lusty turn. “Pigalle” is written and directed by Richard LaGravenese. There is even a Twilight Zone like episode called “Place Des Victories” written and directed by Nobuhiro Suwa, that speaks to the love of a mother (played by Juliette Binoche) for her child. “Paris Je T’aime” has the courage to display the uglier and less pleasant sides of love, too, and they exist as we all know too well. “Quartier Des Enfants Rouges,” written and directed by Olivier Assayas, has Maggie Gyllenhaal on a drug binge. And in “Quartier Latin,” written by Gena Rowlands who also stars, and directed by Frederic Auburtin and Gerard Depardieu, we watch Ben Gazzara and Ms. Rowlands spar on the eve of their divorce. Pathos (“Tuileries” written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, and starring Steve Buscemi), poignancy (“Loin Du 16eme” directed and written by Walter Sailes and Daniela Thomas, and “Place Des Fetes,” written and directed by Oliver Schmitz), humor (“Tour Eiffel,” by Sylvain Chomet), and even love for one’s self ( “14 eme Arrondissement,” written by Alexander Payne and Nadine Eid, directed by Mr. Payne) are all touched upon inside the collective heart of “Paris, Je T’aime.” And, to be thorough, "Paris, je t'aime" also glances at the love that dare not speak its name in the episode “Le Marais,” Gus Van Sant’s contribution to the collective. Wes Craven, who we all know as a master of horror, directs and wrote a piece called “Pere-LaChaise.” In it, Emily Mortimer and Rufus Sewell visit the grave of Oscar Wilde. With a firm wink of his eye, Cravens shows us another side of himself, one that has a bit of a romantic streak in it. Natalie Portman has a blind boyfriend (Melchior Beslon) in “Farbourg Saint-Denis,” by Tom Tykwer. And finally, when it seems love has gone cold and dead, we see its resiliency in “Bastille,” from Isabel Coixet. "Paris, je t'aime," in the end, speaks to and about the heart. Sometimes love is good and sometimes it is bad, but without it we’d all be lost and afraid. There are ups and downs with this film, just like love, but it is never boring. I think it was the fastest 120 minutes I’ve spent in a theater in a long time, and when it was over I felt something I don’t believe I’ve felt in a long time. That there is hope for me, too! The film opens on Friday, May 4th in New York City and in Los Angeles on May 18th. There are plans to roll the film out nationally, so watch your local newspapers for that. This film is a good escape from the sledge-hammers that are the summer blockbuster films. So, take a break from the carnage and enjoy yourself if this film is playing near you soon |
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