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Paris, Je T'Aime

Anthology films are always a gamble, since the interweaving of multiple disparate narratives into one cohesive whole is hardly ever consistent, let alone altogether satisfying. Apart from “Love Actually,” these kinds of movies rarely catch on with the public, as it seems like general audiences prefer a stand-alone story that has enough time to develop itself organically. Even films like “Four Rooms,” in which the stories are episodic, yet discernibly connected by one or more central character(s), often appear too lopsided and uneven to devote a great deal of attention. It comes as a bit of a surprise, really, that “Paris, Je T’Aime” works so well: it is compiled of no less than 18 shorts, all written and directed by an international who’s who of acclaimed filmmakers, that very rarely converge. Thematically and tonally, the stories couldn’t be more different from each other -– some are buoyant and optimistic, while others are devastatingly melancholy -- but they all approach the subject of love in some way, shape, or form. Each film takes place in a separate neighborhood of Paris, doesn’t usually focus on more than three characters, and may or may not exist within reality. Audiences will likely be divided by their reactions to the various shorts, some of which never approach anything resembling closure. Some of the segments, particularly one featuring Maggie Gyllenhaal as a lonely actress longing for romantic possibilities with her drug dealer, end just as they seem to be getting started. Others, like Alfonso Cuaron’s one-take character, study of an irresponsible dad (Nick Nolte) and his exasperated daughter (Ludivine Sagnier), are fitfully funny and/or visually intriguing, but seem to go on and on. How people will respond to Elijah Wood’s noirish encounter with a beautiful vampire or “Triplets of Belleville” director Sylvain Chomet’s trippy tale of two mimes falling in love is anybody’s guess. As disjointed as the film understandably is, there’s a lot more good than bad here, although only a few of the shorts achieve true greatness. Joel and Ethan Coen’s “Tuileries” is the comedic highlight of the whole thing, showcasing Steve Buscemi in an impeccable, wordless performance as a hapless tourist in a subway station. Oddly enough, bleak entries like “Place des Victoires,” in which Juliette Binoche gives a wonderful performance as a woman struggling to get beyond her young son’s death, provide an emotional power and doesn’t disrupt the film’s collective whimsy. For my money, the best two shorts of the entire thing come right after another at the end. Gerard Depardieu stars in and directs a bittersweet meeting between an older, divorced couple (Gena Rowlands and Ben Gazzara) who cannot hide their affection for each other – even as they trade progressively nasty insults. “Paris, Je T’Aime” also finds the perfect way to wrap itself up with Alexander Payne’s final segment, “14th Arrondissement,” depicting a friendly, middle-aged woman (Margo Martindale) falling in love with the city while on a solitary vacation. As good as this film is, it might be worth waiting until rental so you can skip through some of the riffraff and get to the segments worth your time. However, that being said, only four of the 18 segments are outright bad, while six are legitimately great and eight are some degree inbetween. Either way, it’ll provoke a lot of post-movie discussion, and while some of the films will fade immediately from your memory, some will remain there forever. “Paris, Je T’Aime” is a cinematic grab bag, but it works the majority of the time – not just as a tribute to love and the City of Lights, but also as a smorgasbord of styles that allow you to sample the work of some of today’s most exciting filmmakers.

Written by: Joe Pudas

Reviewers Rating: 7.5
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