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2 Days in Paris (2007)

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71 comments in total

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35 out of 42 people found the following comment useful :-
Smart, funny and not for everyone, 1 October 2007

Author: jeanedouardpouliot from United States

From a study of the movie poster, you might be tempted to think this is another pointless romantic movie about two lovers in France. "Oui," they will fight, love, eat croissants and find meaning. How drearily cliché.

But, surprise of surprises, "Two Days in Paris" is a very funny, very soulful and very interesting look at a slice of the life of two quite interesting characters. On the surface, Marion (Julie Delpy) and Jack (Adam Goldberg) are two irritatingly pretentious neurotics. Both 35 and childless, they have been traveling Europe for 2 weeks, deciding to stop in Paris for a couple days to drop in on Marion's family and friends before flying home to New York. Marion is French, the child of left-wing French artists. Jack is a New Yorker, a political lefty whose shallow grasp of culture (he speaks only English, for instance) is purely American. She had aspirations to be a photographer, though (for reasons the film will make clear) her work is strictly third-class. He takes pictures of everything, but has no eye for form, color or composition.

What's fun about the film is the complexity of the relationships. To Jack's annoyance, Marion keeps bumping into her old boyfriends. And her father seems intent on humiliating or offending him and his American tastes. A dinner scene in which he is offered a rabbit's head is just hilarious. When offered carrots, he says, "So, we're going to eat the bunny's food, too?" For her part, Marion cannot understand why Jack finds her continued casual friendships with exes to be so extraordinary. And Jack, utterly clueless about the nuances (or even the surface content) of Marion's conversations, is getting paranoid that he is not being told everything. At one point, Marion is holding a violent argument with a racist cabdriver. Jack knows something is going on, but can't get past Marion's insistence that everything is fine.

I realize as I write this that I am doing no justice to the joyful sense of voyeurism that the film affords.The film is so smartly written and fast-paced that sometimes you forget you are watching a film and think you are watching dinner with Julie's real family or attending parties with her smug and artsy friends. The film is completely convincing and has a depth of heart I didn't expect. It deal with secrets and the frustration that comes from knowing another person. The language and culture barriers then act as metaphors for the inability of two people, even lovers, to inhabit another's life and experience.

"Two Days in Paris" is not for all. Marion and Jack are exemplars of the worst aspects of US and European artistic classes. Their treatment of a group of Americans on a "Da Vinci Code" tour tells you more than you want to know about the antagonisms between right and left. But their smug, knowing put downs of Bush and Cheney supporters are less political messages by the movie makers than markers of the characters' personalities. This movie about liberals does not necessarily espouse their world view. But, at heart, this is a love story, not a political drama. Secondly, since we are talking about shallow artists, there is an enormous amount of politico-sexual "art" on display in the film. While this may be offensive to the audience, its presence helps to define the characters themselves. It's not there to titillate the viewer, but to describe the actors.

Delpy, who wrote, directed, produced and acted in the movie, has made a master work that is complex, evocative, real and quite beautiful. She has captured aspects of the French national character that seem quite convincing. She has also aptly captured the emotions and dilemmas of 30-something adults who, under it all, are still looking for meaning, belonging and peace. Goldberg gave a powerful and hilarious performance. He's Ben Stiller with a soul.

If you can put up with the film's politics, you will be amply rewarded. Magnifique!

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44 out of 60 people found the following comment useful :-
Surprisingly enjoyable comedy, 19 May 2007

Author: khamsun

This is a somewhat romantic comedy about a french-American couple spending two turbulent days living with her parents in Paris.

My expectations were fairly low when I was coerced into watching Julie Delpy's directorial debut. After the first couple of minutes (and arguments between Delpy and Goldberg, respectively) I was still skeptical. But by the time her (real life, by the way) parents were introduced, things got really hysterical and I was holding my sides laughing throughout the rest of the movie. It has to be said that most of the jokes are sexual in nature, so this is no film for the young or easily offended. There are also moments where Delpys character is a little annoying, but those are thankfully far and few between. Similarly, I approved the brevity of Daniel Brühls appearance. Special mention has to go to Adam Goldberg, however, whose antics lend the movie the lion's share of its funny moments - I certainly hope to see more of him in the future.

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45 out of 62 people found the following comment useful :-
A really good laugh, 25 May 2007

Author: shirasade from Basel, Switzerland

The culture-clash story might have been done before, but this is still a very refreshing and most of the time utterly hilarious movie. Myself and the rest of the theater burst out laughing every couple of minutes, which makes me forgive the few scenes that made me uncomfortable. Definitely not for the faint of heart or easily offended!

The characters might seem over the top at times, but they're still likable and real (as witnessed by the fact that the artwork in the gallery was actually made by Julie Delpy's father). I thought that Julie Delpy's parents stole the show whenever they were on screen, although Delpy and Goldberg both do a very good job.

All in all, it feels like a very personal look at French (or rather, Parisian bohemian) life, and very much worth a viewing. Or even two.

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23 out of 31 people found the following comment useful :-
Woody Amelie..., 13 September 2007

Author: come2whereimfrom from United Kingdom

Julie Delpy excels in '2 Days in Paris' as she writes, directs, produces, composes the music and stars in this romantic bitter/sweet comedy. Opposite Adam Goldberg, who has amongst other things played psycho Eddie in Friends and Private Mellish in 'Saving Private Ryan', Delpy shines as the nerdy photographer who has trouble with her eyes. The two central performances and sharp script means the film flows along at a pretty fast pace with the one liners so frequent you could easily miss the odd one. The situations explored around relationships and family are universal and so easy for anyone to relate to, there are misunderstood physical situations and language barriers which all add to the overall melodrama/comedy unfolding on screen. The film is peppered with brilliant moments from the awkward to the bizarre and the laughs come thick and fast, with Paris as a backdrop the lovers weave in and out of one situation to another always in love yet always on the verve of break-up. Co-starring Delpy's real father as her in film father shows a sense of tightness and a labour of love that comes across in the finished product. Like a cross between something from Woody Allen and Amelie this film has a special naivety full of wonderment juxtaposed with the dark underbelly of life that is at times hard to escape. Whether you laugh or cry you can't fail to be moved by a film so simple in its execution of themes that can, as displayed, be so complicated. Delpy has made something she, and everyone involved, should be very very proud of.

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26 out of 38 people found the following comment useful :-
Funny and Critical Look at Cultural Interaction, 3 June 2007

Author: gwill-3 from United States

This witty and touching film considers the difficulties of cross-cultural relationships, in this case a relationship between an American man and a French woman. While the film sometimes relies on stereotypes (particularly with some of the minor characters), it also presents rich, fleshed- out characters that are clearly individuals with their own histories and experiences that they and those around them have to contend with. The film does not spare either Americans or the French in its critical look at the two cultures and the ways they affect the interactions of the two main characters. Both Delpy and Goldberg deliver fine performances, and the script offers plenty of laughs.

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14 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
A New Standard in Love Stories, 11 December 2007

Author: robert-current from United States

I watched 2 Days in Paris staring Julie Delpy and Adam Goldberg last night. I've never much cared for Adam Goldberg, and I spent my own 2 days in Paris in 2000 and it was the hardest 2 days on a relationship I've ever had. Maybe that's why this has become one of my favorite films of all time. Watching Adam Goldberg deal with some of the same foreign travel problems and relationship issues that torture him throughout this movie.

The movie is half in French. It is definitely to your advantage if you don't speak French, because a key plot element is how Jack (Adam Goldberg) becomes so regularly frustrated by not understanding the language.

In the end, I think I loved this movie because it is one of the best love stories I've ever seen. It's not a Hollywood fairytale romance, it's real, it's gritty, quirky, funny, and ugly, just like love can be in real life.

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18 out of 26 people found the following comment useful :-
True love comes about by knowing one another with honesty and acceptance., 27 October 2007

Author: Robert McCarroll from Puerto Rico

I saw "2 Days In Paris" today. It was like going to an AA meeting or any group therapy session to live more spiritually. It is all about relating, being honest and accepting others for what they really are and not what you want them to be.

Actually it is not a movie about Paris.The entire film could have been done in locations other than Paris. I was surprised by the movie. I was expecting a lot of action and a complicated plot or story line taking place all over Paris. Instead, it was mainly two characters who are maybe in love with each other but need to open new doors to make their love possible or to be able to be fully realized.

This unmarried couple discovered that, though they profess loving one another and enjoying lots of sex and love making, they actually did not know one another. True love comes about by knowing one another with honesty and acceptance.

The film has a slice of life story line. There is actually no definite beginning or end. It was more a segment of living by two young people trying to relate to each other. Since it was a slice of life story line, I was not able to anticipate when the movie would end. However, I accepted the movie's ending when it did happen.

I recommend this movie to anyone who wants insights on how to have a spiritual and non-judgemental relationship with another person. It is the kind of truth that one discovers in AA and other twelve-step programs.

"2 Days In Paris" is not dull or boring. The movie made me feel alive and realize that at my age of seventy-nine that I still have a lot spiritual growth ahead of me. Self-honesty and accepting life on God's term is a process of living that never ends.

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9 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
A Nutshell Review: 2 Days in Paris, 25 November 2007

Author: DICK STEEL from Singapore

I actually did spend two days in Paris, back in August 2004, and did all the touristy things one could do in those short 48 hours, like visit the unmissable landmarks such as Le Tour Eiffel, visited babes Mona Lisa and Venus at the Louvre, tried to look for the hunchback at Notre Dame, paid my respects at Napoleon's casket, and ended the night partying after a dinner watching a French revue.

But no, I didn't have a Julie Delpy to romance, or to hang out with. Written and directed (and edited!) by Julie Delpy, comparisons to the Richard Linklater twin combo Before Sunrise and Before Sunset are inevitable, because firstly, they star Delpy, and secondly, the characters hit off into interesting chatter that grabs our attention, albeit this one takes place over a longer period of reel time over 48 hours versus the combined 24 hours that the Before movies offered. But before you shout "rip off" and discredit Delpy's effort as another Linklater clone, I can safely say there are distinct differences between the movies, and that while Linklater's had a kind of dreamy romanticism to his, Delphy's 2 Days in Parissomehow had a more realistic, grittier, down to earth look and feel (no offense to Linklater, whose movies I mentioned I just adore too), tackling a key issue in relationship, and that's honesty.

In fact, you'd wonder if honesty (100% no holds barred revelations) can offer you less headache, particularly when your partner has to discover some parts of you that you want hidden away, either for reasons of being ashamed, or just because you want to protect him/her from possible hurt when they find out the truth. Truth usually has a funny way of getting back at you, in presenting themselves usually at the less than ideal situations, open to being misconstrued, and misunderstood. Kind of having a negative vibe to it all, doesn't it? Adam Goldberg plays Jack, who's into a two year relationship with Delpy's Marion. While enjoying a whirlwind holiday in Europe, they decided to make a pit stop in Paris to visit Mario's folks Anna and Jeannot (Marie Pillet and Albert Delpy, Julie Delpy's real life parents playing her reel ones in the movie), before flying back home to New York. That's the basic premise, with Jack being brought around Paris by Marion, as well as to catch up (or rather providing the opportunity) with Marion's friends, which inevitably involves ex-boyfriends. While at first being quite magnanimous, Jack will confront his fears and ego-busting situations when he starts to realize in his own warped perception that Marion may well be the village bicycle, having ridden with/on/by every male they come into contact with.

I never thought I'd laugh my way through the movie, as from the get go, 2 Days in Paris contains extremely witty dialogue in rapid fire, and almost every character gets into the act, either intentionally (like Jack and his constant sarcasm), or through various situations the couple get into. Cab rides aren't like Linklater's Before Sunset where the lovebirds take the time to understand each other, gaze and whisper sweet nothings. Cab rides here means opportunity for insane dialogue, insults, and even being hit upon! It was so much fun that I'd actually wanted the couple to take more cab rides. Bringing on the laughs too was Marion's/Delpy's dad, a Frenchman who cannot speak English, which provides cross-cultural / language barrier comedy with Goldberg's Jack, and being the old man that he is, peppers his conversations and actions with so much sexual innuendo it'll probably make you blush. That scene in the art gallery is just to die for, if you pay close attention to the art pieces. Dad definitely stole the show each time he appeared on screen.

But fun and laughter aside, this movie as it turns out, is a very keen, and introspective look at modern day love and relationships. That voice-over by Delpy towards the end, somehow struck a bell within me, and I'd think most of us who have been hurt in the same way, may share the same thoughts too. And for that bit of sincerity and recognition of a probable perennial issue of the cycle of love-lost-found-is-he/she-the-one-pondering, this Julie Deply movie is a definite winner. Kudos too to Adam Goldberg for being a likable unlikeable fella providing ample, believable repartee to carry the movie through. Highly recommended, don't miss this movie! And book your tickets early too, as it has been playing to full houses!

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17 out of 28 people found the following comment useful :-
Ever wondered what Woody Allen was like when he was good?, 5 September 2007

Author: RockinRog from United Kingdom

If this was rubbish, we would be calling it a vanity project. But, luckily, Julie Delpy is not only a good actor, but a fine writer and director. There are elements of 'Amelie' and the classic Woody Allen comedies such as 'Annie Hall' and 'Manhattan', particularly in Adam Goldberg's neurotic response to the chic scruffiness that is Paris. This film has things to say about the Franco-American culture clash, but says them in a gentle and affectionate way. Until you've been to Paris, it is difficult to realize just how much in love with all things American the (urban) French actually are... until they encounter it face to face, when they find it so baffling that the only recourses are sarcasm and irony, in addition to lapsing into French spoken so fast that even some French speakers find it incomprehensible. There is also lots to say about relationships and how they work, or don't. If you are in a relationship, you will cringe with recognition. If you aren't, you will wonder whether you really ever want another one.

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6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
A pleasant surprise, 1 October 2007

Author: Boaz Sachs from London & Milan

What is it with Julie Delpy? I have only seen a hand-full of her movies but she always manages to surprise and excite. She acts brilliantly as the title character in Tarantinoesque Killing Zoë, manages to stay convincing in the far-fetched An American Werewolf in Paris and is great as a young lover in Before Sunrise and as a confident woman in the sequel Before Sunset. This brings us to 2 days in Paris which could easily be mistaken for a continuation of the Sunrise/Sunset movies. And that would be a huge mistake: 2 Days in Paris is a dialogue driven romantic comedy dissecting a couples quasi-dysfunctional relationships and how they have to come to terms with their individual imperfections to be able to truly coexist as a pair. Though that may not sound like compelling viewing its actually hugely entertaining as it dissects a million small mix-ups which can make or break a couple.

Adam Goldberg is compelling as the sarcastic yet witty American boyfriend visiting Paris for the first time with his girlfriend. What follows is a series of hugely entertaining misunderstandings involving cross cultural differences, hilarious conversations in broken French with family members and a series of unplanned rendezvous with former lovers all of which combine to drive him high up the paranoia ladder.

It's refreshing to find out that not only does Julie Delpy act brilliantly as the naive and clumsy Marion but she also directed and wrote it, heck she even composed the soundtrack.

The lasting message of this movie is although you might hate 80% of the things your lover does if you just cant live without them don't lose them

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