Paris, Je T’aime

Paris, Je T’aime

An eclectic collection of directors and writers get together to present their widely-varied takes on the City of Love in a series of five to ten minutes vignettes.

A precious parking spot and a fainting spell conspire to bring two lonely people together. The dialogue sparks and engages in this scene that pokes fun at the twin themes of opportunity and risk.

A guy blows off his misogynist friends to come to the aid of a pretty, loosely veiled Muslim woman. The two exchange meaningful and wistful glances as the boy chases after the girl in literal fashion. It’s not difficult at all to believe that the boy (symbolizing France) can ignore society’s xenophobia and be attracted to this girl. Unfortunately, it was more difficult to believe that the girl’s (grand)father could be so accepting of the boy’s interest. But perhaps that is my prejudice showing.

A beautiful young man tries to seduce another beautiful young man, his one-sided poetic dialogue becoming increasingly aggressive and desperate as he is silently rebuffed. The reason for the object of affection’s lack of response is revealed to underscore the divide that language can affect.

The acting talents of Steve Buscemi are showcased as he wordlessly plays a clueless American toyed with by a cleverly arrogant French couple. The Coen brothers show that love is not always what it seems in Paris.

Another poignant take on the social divide between rich and poor, between native and immigrant, as a Latino nanny is forced to leave her own infant in a daycare to travel across the city to tend to her employer’s baby.

The surreal side of Paris is explored, as a hapless salesman visits a Chinatown hair salon with unexpected and inexplicable results.

A man must choose between taking care of his ailing wife or absconding with the quintessential Parisienne mistress.

Grief takes the strange form of a cowboy as a mother struggles to deal with the unending depths of loss.

A small boy playing the actor-narrator steals the scene as he explains how his parents met and fell in love. The difficulty of being a mime in Paris, of being different, of being incredibly annoying, is examined.

Nick Nolte puffs on too many cigarettes in an overly clever attempt to mislead the audience. He’s not really a dirty old man, okay, he’s a nice dirty old man.

An actress’ quest to get high goes nowhere in an appropriate and forgettable fashion.

One more take on the immigration issues in France as an African man’s request for coffee is slowly revealed, in flashback form, to be more than it seems.

Bob Hoskins portrays a likeable pervert trying to get lucky in a sleazy strip club - oh, how far one will go to keep love alive!

A backpacking tourist played by the always wide-eyed Elijah Wood finds the gothic side of Parisienne love.

Celebrity hunting in a Paris cemetery takes its toll on one’s sense of humour, and ultimately, on love.

A short cut shows that love is not always blind. Or is it?

Two old actors meet in a Paris café to finalize their divorce and discuss their young lovers in what is clearly meant to be a snappy, funny repartee, but falls way short of that. Gerard Depardieu makes his obligatory appearance in this scene that he co-directed.

Another sad-sack American tourist narrates her lonely Parisienne holiday in badly-accented French, wrapping up the film in a somewhat annoying but surprising affecting manner.