Review of New York, I Love You (2008) by Stuart K — 19 Jun 2012

After the success of Paris, je t'aime (2006), it's producers swiftly planned another film and want to make a series of films like that set in different cities, and this is the second one. Which is tonally different from Paris, je t'aime, as there's only 10 segments here compared to the 18 before, well it's 11 if you include the transitions throughout.

Some of them work, others don't, but that's the drawback of portmanteau films like this. Amongst the highlights, the first segment by Jiang Wen has thief Ben (Hayden Christensen) getting involved with Molly (Rachel Bilson), Mira Nair does one segment were Jewish Rifka (Natalie Portman) finds solace in Indian Mansuhkhbai (Irrfan Khan).

Shunji Iwai's bit has musician David (Orlando Bloom) in a phone friendship with Camille (Christina Ricci). Brett Ratner's segment has a boy (Anton Yelchin) falling for a wheelchair bound actress (Olivia Thirlby).

Later, Shekhar Kapur's segment written by Anthony Minghella, has Jacob (Shia LaBeouf) falling for old opera diva Isabelle (Julie Christie). But, the most touching segment is by Joshua Marston, about an elderly couple Abe (Eli Wallach) and Mitzie (Cloris Leachman) on a walk out and about in New York and to the sea front.

It shows love stories in many different forms, but it's touching in parts, although it does tend to drag in some places, it's well intended. There's another one of these films to be made sometime entitled Shanghai, I Love You, which is due out next year, but it might make a good series of films.