Paris, Je T'aime (2006)

A two-hour film composed of eighteen five-minute shorts, “Paris, Je T’aime” boasts an astounding cast and an impressive collection of directors, which is enough reason for one to see this fantastic film. Set in the different arrondissements (districts) of Paris, we get to witness the stories ranging from the funny to the emotional, the obscure to the bizarre. Despite being made up of different independent stories, each segment is connected by their dealings with love. There’s probably a story for everyone to relate to, whether one is romantic or not, so long as one has experienced love at least once in his/her lifetime.

It’s hard to not play favorites in a portmanteau film and here are mine - Gurinder Chadha’s “Quais de Seine”, a story about a boy who fell in love with an Islamic girl; Joel and Ethan Coen’s “Tuileries”, a hilarious story set on a subway starring Steve Buscemi; Isabelle Coixet’s “Bastille”, about a man on the verge of marital separation who is shocked by the news of his wife’s terminal illness; Nobuhiro Suwa’s “Place des Victoires”, featuring the marvelous Juliette Binoche in a role quite similar to her performance in Krzysztof Kieslowski’s “Three Colors: Blue”; Sylvain Chomet’s “Tour Eiffel”, a comic account of a mime; Alfonso Cuaron’s “Parc Monceau”, a witty story amazingly done in one continuous shot; Oliver Schmitz’s “Place des Fetes”, about a guy’s unfortunate quest to find a girl he meets on the job; Vincenzo Natali’s “Quartier de la Madeleine”, featuring Elijah Wood falling in love with a vampire; Wes Craven’s “Pere-Lachaise”, about a woman who fancies Oscar Wilde and his fiancé getting to meet the spirit of the famous poet after an argument; Frederic Auburtin and Gerard Depardieu’s “Quartier Latin”, a conversation of an old couple planning to divorce; and finally the last, Alexander Payne’s “14e arrondissement”, featuring a narration done by and starring Margo Martindale. I also liked Gus Van Sant’s “Le Marais” and Tom Tykwer’s “Fauburg Saint-Denis” although I don’t really know what to make of them. The others were almost forgettable but it’s arguable that they still add up to the film’s theme.

As much as I want to discuss all those I’ve mentioned, I will just be handpicking a few to elaborate on for this article and those are “Bastille”, “Parc Monceau”, “Quartier Latin” and “14e arrondissement”. In “Bastille”, Isabelle Coixet creates a painfully beautiful story of redemption – a man is about to breakup with his wife, when she suddenly surprises him with her diagnosis of terminal leukemia. Guilty of what he was about to do, the guy does not pursue his initial plan and instead, tends to his wife, giving her all the pleasures she has longed for. The most wonderful moment happens when the guy realizes that he has fallen once more for his wife, despite the fact that he was just faking it in the beginning.

Contrasting the pattern of comic to tragic, “Parc Monceau” begins on a serious tone, making the viewer suspicious of the relationship between Nick Nolte’s character and the woman he is with. Alfonso Cuaron brilliantly directs this piece, presenting it in one continuous shot; which definitely adds to the development of its witty story. The distance of the camera from the subjects says a lot, as the frame becomes tighter until we finally realize their real relationship.

Perhaps not as witty but still as amazing is Frederic Auburtin and Gerard Depardieu’s “Quartier Latin”, which is basically a conversation between an old couple who are about to be divorced. The simplicity of the story’s mise-en-scene allows the audience to analyze the nonverbal forms of communication that take place between the couple. The shots are telling of how they feel about one another; with the man really intent in having the divorce while his wife seems to be having doubts. This segment is minimalist cinema in sheer perfection.

The modesty of “Quartier Latin” sets up the film’s closing segment in Alexander Payne’s “14e arrondissement” – a story of a middle-aged plus-sized woman who saves up her money and learns French because of her dream to visit Paris. She finally arrives in her ideal city but the loneliness and alienation of being a stranger in a foreign land then kicks in; this however, does not hinder her from enjoying her experience, as she’s able to fully realize her love for the city. Payne’s decision to accompany his piece with narration is genius as it adds strong flavors to his story, with the last line really hitting hard. Intelligently placed last, the segment effectively epitomizes the whole film being a love letter to Paris.

Finally, when we think that the film is over, we see a final montage (in tune with Feist’s lovely song, "La Meme Histoire") featuring most of the film’s characters, showing us that love truly binds everyone.