2 Days In Paris

Julie Delpy until now was an actress who at a very young age landed one of her first roles in a movie directed by French legend Jean-Luc Godard, a musician with one album under her belt, and one of the writers of the screenplay for the film Before Sunset, the follow up to the wonderful Before Sunrise. With her second effort The Countess already in progress, a film about Erzebet Bathory, Delpy now seems to have set her eyes on becoming a serious director as well. And by the look of her fresh and very hilarious debut 2 Days In Paris, she seems to be destined for success. Having not only taken the job of director on her tiny shoulders, Delpy also plays the female lead opposite the superb Adam Goldberg, has written the entire screenplay herself, did all the editing and if all that already wasn't enough, also composed the film's music. It's clear that 2 Days In Paris has been really her project and was a film she wanted to make and most importantly had to make in her own way, the way she really envisioned it. Taking so much control over one's own 'little baby' can sometimes turn out catastrophic. For Delpy however, it all works out more than just fine. 2 Days In Paris is one splash of funny moments and jokes that won't come to an end until the end credits come rolling down the screen. It's fresh and full of life, sweet and charming, as well as very recognizable and realistic. Unlike most comedies which only have a couple of funny moments, which most of the time are already shown in the film's trailer, 2 Days In Paris still has a lot to offer. The writing is funny smart and both characters are very well rounded. The little themes and questions Delpy brings up at the end give the film an extra layer, showing also its serious side and wondering what happened to the romantic side and intimacy in the relationship, beside mocking the cultural differences and backgrounds of both characters. 2 Days In Paris is very entertaining and enjoyable, and proofs comedies can still be very funny.

What is it about?

A couple, the French Marion and the American Jack, decide to spend two days in Paris after having just visited Italy. From the moment they arrive it becomes clear that the two days will be very long and frustrating, especially for Jack, who doesn't speak the language and who is afraid of terrorist attacks. Meeting Marion's parents, he soon discovers there is a lot about Marion he didn't know before, especially the number of exes she has had before he became her new boyfriend. At first trying to be reasonable, Jack just takes it all in without worrying too much. However, Marion's flirtatious character eventually has him over thd eEe, not sure anymore of how much she actually loves him and wants to be together. In the meantime Marion is having trouble herself finding it difficult to for once give herself completely to one guy and trying to make it last. Thinking about how the two days have been, Marion starts to realize that her behaviour must have scared Jack and that she maybe really has some anger management problems. For both it becomes unclear whether they should stay together or not and how their love will survive after getting back to the US.

Final Verdict: ****1/2

2 Days In Paris is one of those films that will assure you of a fun night out, and that will definitely not dissapoint when it comes to how much good jokes there normally are in a comedy. It's one of those rare comedies which will have you laughing in your seat almost consistently. At times you almost feel like screaming for a little break, as the jokes hit you so fast, leaving almost no time to recover from the one before and have some breathing time. Like Before Sunset 2 Days In Paris is set in Paris and shows two people who by the end of this one day, or in this case two days, will come to know how the short amount of time thehave spend together in Paris will come to effect their relationship. Because of this, there will be people who will draw comparison between the two and start looking for similarities. However, apart from both films taking place in Paris, showing Delpy sitting in a cab and being very talkative walking down the street, the two films are very different. Before Sunrise has this very romantic and dreamy style with lots of pretty pictures and being very much related to feeling, wheras 2 Days In Paris is quite the opposite, being full with sexual jokes, that at times kind of make it a bit banal, has a very gritty style, filming the actors' faces from up close and which pays not much attention to beautiful photography and choosing which lighting suits the scenes best. Still there's a big chance lovers of Before Sunset will fall in love with this one as well, even if it's just because it combines all Delpy's many talents. A film 2 Days In Paris draws much more comparison to is Woody Allen's Annie Hall, with the big glasses that Marion wears as a reference to the ones Diane Keaton's character can be seen wearing. Overall 2 Days In Paris stands very much on its own and features a very funny performance by Adam Goldberg, who with Delpy, makes for a perfect match. Wonderful as well are Marion's parents, especially Marion's father, both who are actually played by Delpy's real life parents. With 2 Days In Paris Delpy shows off her talent and makes sure she is one to be watched. Her debut is a delightful surprise and will make her next film The Countess one to keep a very close eye on as it might be surprisingly good as well.