2 Days in Paris (2007)

Taking from her role in “Before Sunrise” and “Before Sunset”, Julie Delpy returns to direct her own take on an intercultural relationship between an American man and a French woman. Using comedy to portray the relationship between the film’s leading couple, the movie is witty with its well-crafted script, written by Julie Delpy herself. In addition to writing and directing, the French actress who also plays the lead in the film together with Adam Goldberg, is also the producer, editor and the composer of the film’s musical score. Indeed the film is a celebration of all things Julie Delpy.

2 Days in Paris gives a unique take on a theme that has perhaps already been discussed in Richard Linklater’s “Before Sunrise” and “Before Sunset.” This time, however, we see the story behind the relationship between the French girl and the American boy through the eyes of a woman. Delpy succeeds in providing a fresh look on the topic with her unique and sometimes daring direction, as she weaves the film together into a charming and hysterical comedy.

Perhaps the film’s strongest aspect is its superb script with its clever and hilarious dialogues. Here we can see the demarcation between the Linklater films, which one cannot really help but compare to Ms. Delpy’s own piece. “2 Days in Paris” doesn’t really provide a clear scenario of the clashing of cultures, perhaps as it is overpowered by the film’s other elements. Although the film is very successful in eliciting reactions from the audience with quite a number of laughs and cheers, there is a point where it sacrifices a sense of realism, a sense of being genuine, as one cannot help but ask, do people like this really exist? The film does, however, redeem itself as an art form with its honest ending, providing us with a candid portrayal of its resolution.

The film’s other highlight is of course the strong performance of its cast. Delpy and her onscreen husband Adam Goldberg provide a riot of performances as a couple arriving from their vacation in Venice, taking a pit stop for 2 days in Marion’s (Julie Delpy) parents’ house in Paris before coming back to their home in New York. As Jack (Adam Goldberg) gets to meet Marion’s parents, friends and even exes for the first time, he discovers new things about her, providing a sense of intrigue and unfamiliarity on his side. It’s here where we are ensured of at least one chuckle provided by the couple in almost each scene. Other notable performances include those from Marion’s parents, who are in fact Julie Delpy’s parents in real life.

As Delpy’s first feature, the film doesn’t disappoint as it was quite successful. As a director, Julie Delpy is inventive and creative as she tried not to stick with a simple mode of storytelling in depicting her narrative – her use of pictures both from celluloid coming from Jack’s snapshots and those from Marion’s imagination further enriched the story. Her decision to provide a narration for the film, although clearly not original, is still effective most especially in the film’s final scenes. In terms of cinematography, the film gives a feel of a home video in most of the scenes with the camera’s rapid movements, zooming in and out, moving left and right. This effect is indeed most suitable in the last scene as we are confronted with the question – did this really happen or is it just in Marion’s mind?

As a Julie Delpy fan, I was pretty happy and satisfied with the film, as my constant laughing during the screening would give proof. Although I wouldn’t go as far as to position it equally to the level of “Before Sunrise” and “Before Sunset”, I still believe that the film is laudable nonetheless. Quite frankly, whether or not you’re a fan of Julie Delpy, its hilarious script is enough reason for you to see it.