Review of 2 Days in New York (2012) by Blake P — 18 Jan 2015

"2 Days in Paris" was a romantic comedy that had all the best qualities of a neurotic Woody Allen classic, and its sequel, "2 Days in New York," is no different. In the former film, Julie Delpy's Marion, along with her boyfriend, Jack (Adam Goldberg), grappled with their declining relationship while surrounded by the culture shocks of Paris and Marion's hugely eccentric family. In "2 Days in New York," we find that Marion and Jack have broken up; the only proof of their relationship is a child, who is now three years old.

Marion currently lives with Mingus (Chris Rock), a hip radio talk show host who has a daughter himself. Their household is blissful, making for a harmonious full house of sorts. But when Marion's family comes to town to support her new art exhibit, things promptly turn from euphoric to helter-skelter. Marion's father (Albert Delpy, who is, which you may have already guessed, Julie Delpy's real-life dad) manages to consistently say the wrong thing at the wrong time, her sister (Alexia Landeau) is abrasive and immodest, and, to Marion's horror, brings along her boyfriend (Alexandre Nahon), who was Marion's lover way back when. It's difficult enough for her to relive the lunacy of her past, but Mingus, who is normally so calm and collected, is close to losing his mind.

Delpy, who also wrote and directed the film, has a remarkable talent for writing amusingly droll dialogue. The characters are almost always arguing, yet their confrontations swirl in a mist of witty banter; where most films would be grating, "2 Days in New York" is smart and cognizant. Delpy and Rock are a surprisingly solid screen couple, and the way their characters interact with Marion's kooky family is largely enjoyable.

The biggest (and only) problem with the film has to do with the fact that it's largely plotless - the performances and the conversations are impeccable, but everything feels slightly unfocused because the film doesn't necessarily go anywhere. Flaws aside, though, "2 Days in New York" is a winning romantic comedy that matches its predecessor's appeal.