Review of 2 Days in Paris (2007) by Rob S — 20 May 2009

Though apparently she has some amount of prior experience writing and directing both feature and short films, Julie Delpy's "2 Days In Paris" reeks of a sophomoric earnestness and pretense that is endemic to many first-time filmmakers.

The tell-tale signs of the novice are all evident: attempts to combine unnecessary cinematic tricks (both photographic, and in the editing bay), too many obviously & clumsily staged scenes, and a litany of editorializing that is simply too coy for its own good (Americans can't speak French, tourists are dumb, men are pigs, Americans aren't sexually liberated, yada yada yada).

No one who has ever had the pleasure of seeing Richard Linklater's twin masterpieces "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset" can avoid the conclusion that "2 Days In Paris" is a 3rd-rate attempt to mimic those films. While such an attempt is perhaps destined to invite unfavorable comparisons, "2 Days" deserves to be recognized as unsuccessful on its own (de)merits.

Though Delpy's script and direction are both mediocre and unfocused, the largest defect of the film is Adam Goldberg. To get an idea of what his performance approximates, imagine Jean-Paul Belmondo snorting 30 lines of cocaine while channeling a motormouthed nebbish. Never has an actor more fittingly deserved description with the Yiddish word "shtick" (or "schmuck", for that matter) than Goldberg.

Here's hoping that the future holds better things in store for omni-talented Delpy. Though as Robert Rodriguez has shown time and again, being able to write, direct, edit, and score one's own films is no predictor of artistic success.