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Reviews

STAR RATINGS EXPLAINED
Unmissable
Excellent
Good
Poor
Tragic

FILM DETAILS
Certificate
TBA
Cast
Julie Delpy
Adam Goldberg
Daniel Bruhl
Marie Pillet
Albert Delpy.
Directors
Julie Delpy.
Screenwriters
Julie Delpy.
Running Time
96 minutes

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2 Days In Paris
Think Before Sunset: The Comedy Version

Plot
After two years together, French photographer Marion (Delpy) and American interior designer Jack (Goldberg) have lost the spark in their relationship. In an attempt to rekindle it they spend two days in Paris, home of Marion’s ‘challenging’ parents - plus a host of ex-boyfriends determined to spoil their attempted entente cordiale.

Review
2 Days In Paris

Those familiar with Julie Delpy’s earlier work, in particular Befores Sunrise and Sunset - the latter earning her a co-screenwriting Oscar nom - will be unsurprised that 2 Days In Paris, Delpy’s directorial debut (alongside acting and writing duties), is marked by the perception, wry humour and relationship insights for which her characters have become known.

Perhaps inevitably comparisons will be made with Sunset, 2 Days following a couple around a delightful - if more bohemian - Paris as their relationship is dissected and examined. Yet as Delpy herself is keen to point out, this is a very different film - even if for Sunset fans it acts as an interesting counterpoint.

Far more comedy than straight romance, this is a couple two years down the line, battling the daily irritations, crossed wires and simple ennui that can hit anyone after the honeymoon period wears off.

Placing the bickering pair in the city of romance is a fun idea in itself, and Delpy clearly enjoys the humour of such juxtaposition. Much of the comedy centres on the clash of two quite different cultures, American Jack (an endearingly hangdog Adam Goldberg) fretful over everything from germs (Marion’s flat is a horrifying “Petri dish”) to terrorist attacks, Marion’s maman et papa (played by Delpy’s own parents) - and a disconcerting number of lecherous ex-boyfriends - apparently obsessed with sex, shouting, smoking and scary food.

But it’s not all about the laughs; beneath the satire is an almost ever-present but not displeasing sombre undertone, bringing a bittersweet note to the comedy as Delpy also offers a considered examination of the sometimes harsh realities of love. It seems Marion and Jack are existing largely in anxious isolation - Marion’s solo voiceover is telling - beset by jealousies and insecurity, more likely to snap than really talk.

As the film builds to its possible crisis, by way of a round of chic Parisian soirées and a neatly ironic subplot featuring Daniel Brühl’s animal rights activist, Delpy’s tone becomes serious. Some may find this shift jarring, throwing into question what 2 Days In Paris really wants to be, but Delpy has the wit, sensitivity and skill to pull her disparate thoughts into an unusual, affecting whole.

Verdict
Quirky, fresh and sharply intelligent. A promising debut for director Delpy, both thought-provoking and painfully funny.

Reviewed by Liz Beardsworth

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Your Reviews
Average user rating for 2 Days In Paris

Great, realistic love story

This is a sweet little comedy about two lovers in Paris. It is quite different from the normal love stories. Very straightforward, a lot of dialogue and two main characters who are absolutely believable. Not too cheesy or overly romantic. Genuine people in a real setting.The American Jack (Adam Goldberg) and the originally Parisian Marion (Julie Delpy) have been together for two years. After a lovely trip to Venice they stay at her parents’ house in Paris for two days. Sounds romantic?! We... More
Posted by TheMovieNess at 10:52, 01 November 2008 | Report This Post
All Taxi Drivers are the same

This is worth seeing for the Taxi driver conversations alone. Clearly they are the same across the world, although Parisian ones do seem particularly abhorant. Delpy puts them in their place admirably. This also brings the French arrogance into sharp focus, with Delpy's parents providing excellent talent to have on tap. Delpy is very aware of other nation's views (particulary neurotic Americans) of The French and exploits this e.g. the rectal thermometer and rabbit heads. ... More
Posted by MyPOV at 09:59, 01 February 2008 | Report This Post
RE: 2 Days In Paris

The review for In Paris to be missing. ... More
Posted by Mason Verger at 20:08, 17 September 2007 | Report This Post
RE: 2 Days In Paris

I haven't laughed at a film this much in ages. Delpy does Woody Allen in Paris.... Brilliant.... Goldberg was wondefully neurotic... ... More
Posted by Charliebois at 20:02, 05 September 2007 | Report This Post
RE: 2 Days In Paris

reenwriter: elpy g: elpy, Adam Goldberg, Marie Pillet, Albert Delpy s oing around Europe during a vacation, Marion (Delpy) and her American boyfriend Jack (Goldberg) are spending two days in Paris, where the couple tries to sort out their relationship when they meet a few of Marion's ex-lovers. /b] From actress to director, this isn't the first time we've seen Julie 'The Director' Delpy. After two short features, Delpy is ready to tell her French life through a fictional romanti... More
Posted by Wilding at 21:15, 03 September 2007 | Report This Post
2 Days In Paris

Very funny and a great 'couple' film especially if you too have been going out for 2+ years. ... More
Posted by Timon at 13:52, 03 September 2007 | Report This Post

To say this is just Before Sunset with added gags would really be an insult to this film, I thought this was much more than that. True, the last 10 minutes or so kind of lost the light-hearted mood of what had gone before and got bogged down in a philsophical mood, but overall I loved this film, its far superior to the average rom com that is released these days. There are some truly funny scenes - the dinner with Marion's parents, the balloon pictures, the opening at the gallery, the par... More
Posted by Indio at 22:00, 02 September 2007 | Report This Post

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2 Days In ParisThink Before Sunset: The Comedy Version

2 Days In Paris
Think Before Sunset: The Comedy Version