DVD review - 2 Days in Paris

Julie Delpy attempts to emulate Clint Eastwood with2 Days in Paris, a rather average all-talking French comedy, and makes it a DIY job. Julie acts, writes, directs, edits and composes the music as well. A one-woman band you might say. The downside is it can easily become self-indulgent; as in this case. I thought the opening was good with a hairy, tattooed Adam Goldberg doing a pretty good take on a young Woody Allen’s neurotic hypochondriac persona. This leads to an amusing family dinner with more Allen type characters; but Julie runs out of steam about here.

The film covers two days in the relationship of a couple from New York as they spend time in Paris on a European vocation which is supposed to rekindle their dwindling romance. Marion (Julie Delpy) is French herself and a photographer, her partner is Jack (Adam Goldberg) an American interior designer. They’ve just come from Venice which didn’t work out well as Jack became ill with gastro. Yet they are looking forward to Paris as a romantic adventure.

There are problems however. Marion’s eccentric parents (Delpy’s actual parents in fact) don’t have any English so Jack finds it difficult living in their home and trying to converse with them. They are annoyingly weird sharing their space an overweight feline to which ofcourse Jack has an allergy. Various enthusiastic ex-boyfriends of Marion keep turning up exacerbating Jack as he takes to photographing tombstones, and complaining about the size of French condoms. Their relationship seems about to sink in cranky parents and old flames.

There is a running gag as they share taxis with “typical” French cab drivers, and a some satirical jabs at the local art set, but it falls well short of the type of sparkling dialogue we expect from Woody Allen. Many jokes involve penis humour, something Julie Delpy affirms by saying the script “is all about mens’ fear of castration basically”. Be that as it may, while there were some chuckles along the way I found myself looking at my watch when the movie was only half over. Not an encouraging sign. The film has a little in common with the upcoming Twice Upon a Time, dialogue in both French and English, and one of the key scenes in each is a nutty dinner party.

At least Julie Delpy puts her stamp on the movie in a big way. Appearing in most scenes, and except for cinematography she’s running the ship. She does have a natural acting ability, and Adam Goldberg (Deja Vu) also brings his part off comfortably without any award bells. He lacks the chemistry with Julie of Ethan Hawke in the previous - and more successful - Delpy outings Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. Delpy’s demanding noisy parents are a Gallic nightmare, hopefully this does not reflect their real life characters.

Unfortunately all the talking and philosophic discussion doesn’t really excite and interest can easily waver. There is a trend at the moment for modest French romantic comedies that don’t stay with you once the "Eject" button is pushed. Sadly, like 2 Days in Paris, they’re rather forgettable.