Time to bust out the berets and the croissants. Time to don striped shirts and traverse the Seine on a cloud of your own arrogant nationalism. Time to master all those guttural sounds...that's right, like you're stockpiling all of the mucus in the back of your throat and harvesting it. Are you ready to make a run for France and become a self-loathing American?If so, I recommend commencing your journey into ex-patriotism with a film. 2 Days in Paris is a mostly comedic though sometimes dramatic flick that makes light of long-standing Franco-American preconceptions, largely validating the perceived differences that exist between the two nations. The film, written and directed by Julie Delpy (the French actress of Before Sunrise fame), chronicles the tribulations of a couple visiting the City of Lights. Delpy and Adam Goldberg play Marion and Jack, a once thriving couple from New York whose relationship is tested when they visit Marion's French family (and some ex-boyfriends) in Paris. Jealousy, embarrassment, and miscommunication begin dividing the two lovebirds from the outset, all building toward a somewhat muddled climax.
By and large, the film is funny and entertaining, playing on the French reputation for sexual lasciviousness (at the core of most jokes). The disparity between French sexual openness and American sexual modesty is presented humorously enough; but fortunately, these punchlines are exacerbated by Adam Goldberg's spot-on delivery. Goldberg does play his prototypical role—the cynical, neurotic Jewish guy—but regardless, he truly makes the film. For her part, Delpy is also charming as Marion and well suited to straddle the French and American worlds given her own real-life experiences in both countries.
Regardless of the overall comedic success, the reliance on voice over and the bizarre twists toward the end of the film are, in my opinion, the dark spots on an otherwise clever and entertaining script. Did Delpy not know that voice over is one of the most difficult cinematic devices to successfully utilize? There are occasional films that liberally and effectively use voice over—among them, Memento and Adaptation—but on the whole, voice over is a tough beast to tame. In 2 Days in Paris, the beginning and end were particularly mired in voice over, which effectively diluted the potential of the film. Delpy commits the main sin of voice over: divulging unnecessary details that should surface organically through plot, through action, through subtext. Many extraneous explicative lines, such as, "Jack is an interior designer," gave no real expository insight into the characters. Rather, these interludes only brought the viewer out of the scene. This was particularly disheartening since the dialogue worked so effectively when not stifled by narration.
Aside from voice over, the ending also had its issues. As the relationship between Jack and Marion began unraveling, so did the narrative. The ending was punctuated by a slew of outrageous characters, such as a pedophilic ex-boyfriend and a soft-spoken, pervy stranger (whose weirdness was comical, but somewhat out of place). Although occasionally amusing, their roles (and necessity) within the story were questionable and detracted from the central focus of the couple. To make matters worse, the final confrontation between Jack and Marion was detailed, once again, through voice over (come on! really? why'd you have to do that?).
Despite all these failings, I still enjoyed the film. Formally, Delpy doesn't break any new ground, but she does make some valiant attempts at incorporating different techniques. It may have its problems, but in the end, it does get a good laugh et ça c'est l'important.
*To any readers concerned about the French bent of this blog. I can't even deny it at this point. I realize that yes, an inordinate amount of the articles posted on this blog have been devoted to (or have obliquely referenced) France. French-made movies, French-set movies, French film history, etc. Call me Frenchy, if you must. Tell me I'm consorting with enemies that hate our freedom, if that's your deal. But seeing that my Francophilia shows no signs of dissipating, all of you Disappear Here readers are just going to have to deal. I know you can stomach a bit more français. Besides, I promise this blog will not impart any red wine headaches or delusions of self-importance. And in the meantime, I'll try and temper my proclivities with something a bit more palatable. À bientôt, mes amis.
