October 3, 2007

2 Days in Paris
Julie Delpy's new film hits all the right notes

Jon Taylor l managing editor
jtaylor@smcvt.edu

I, Jon Taylor, a 21-year-old male college student, love romantic comedies.

I don’t adore these films facetiously or ironically, but legitimately.  Don’t believe me?

I have personally bought and now own a plethora: from the good (When Harry Met Sally), bad (Alex and Emma) and otherwise (Serendipity).  Now that I have confessed my sins, there is some work in this genre that is actually digestible by an audience with reasonable standards (i.e. the kind of people who don’t like Good Luck Chuck and other such abominations of celluloid).  In fact, this year has been chock-full of wonderful love stories, particularly found in the bittersweet Once and riotous Knocked Up.

This trend continues with 2 Days in Paris, a sensational take on adult relationships from actress/writer/director/producer/editor/composer Julie Delpy (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset).  The multi-talented Delpy has crafted a film that deals with long-term relationships in a truthful, volatile way – showing how combustible different personalities can be, much like a cross between the emotional themes of Annie Hall and the conversation strung throughout Before Sunset (which Delpy got a co-writing credit for).

The film follows the 30-something couple of off-beat Marion (Delpy) and neurotic Jack (Delpy’s real-life ex-boyfriend Adam Goldberg) as they travel to visit Marion’s parents in the heart of Paris, France.  Although the couple lives in America, Marion’s roots are in France, and as she attempts to give Jack a different view of the country, his neuroses fire as they run into several of Marion’s ex-lovers.  Also, the couple is forced to deal with the cultural differences between Jack and Marion’s parents (Delpy’s real-life parents Albert Delpy and Marie Pillet, both sensational in their own rights) and sister (Alexia Landeau). 

Delpy’s direction and editing are decidedly styled after the handheld approach of other indie films.  This method can alternately be intriguing and messy, but luckily, 2 Days in Paris is founded in the former more than the latter.  Her editing is informal and sets up the film like the travelogue of a couple consistently on the edge of totally losing their minds.

Her all-encompassing work in the film is exquisitely shown, but Delpy doesn’t make 2 Days in Paris a total vanity project.  The real star of this show is Goldberg, who steals almost every scene with pitch-perfect delivery of the most sarcastic one-liners this side of John C. McGinley’s Dr. Cox on NBC’s Scrubs.  As Jack begins to realize that Marion may not be exactly what she seems, Goldberg slowly deteriorates into a total mess, fully embracing what makes his character tick.  Mind you, 2 Days in Paris is a comedy, so it’s not all uncomfortable neurotic nervousness from Jack.  Goldberg provides stellar comic relief and does so without overshadowing the other characters on the screen.

Without giving too much away of the plot, 2 Days in Paris finds a way to traverse the complexities of love without sacrificing any credibility.  As Marion and Jack begin to slowly drift apart, Delpy’s masterful writing weaves comedy, drama and realism effortlessly, never forgetting that these characters have a deep connection with each other.  As the film progresses towards its surprising conclusion, 2 Days in Paris makes the viewer feel for both characters, each of whom commit their own individual sins.  When the last frame hits the screen, you might just believe that love is not always right or wrong, but that it can be exactly what we need to get by.

In a market where romantic comedies have been streamlined into half-hearted, unoriginal efforts (Failure to Launch and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days immediately spring to mind), 2 Days in Paris is a fresh take on the genre.  Delpy’s film is as atypical as it gets in the usually gooey, heavy-handed world of canned Hollywood “love.” It’s evenly balanced with genuine sentimentality, realistic dialogue and an enormously satisfying ending.  For true rom-com fanatics like me, 2 Days in Paris is exactly what we’ve been waiting for.