Review of New York, I Love You (2008) by Nick R — 12 Dec 2010
Ever since the advent of seminal classics like Crash (2004) and even a decade before that with Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, the novelty of the non-linear, episodic narrative is less of a novelty and more of an accepted convention in today's Hollywood.
And the romance genre is no stranger with this plot format, with most recently the star studded fluff of Gary Marshall's Valentine's Day (2010). But New York, I Love You differs from its peers by not really being a romance about any particular person or couple, for it is not just a movie but a love letter to the magical metropolis that graces the film's title.
A companion piece to Paris, Je T'aime (2006), the film follows suit by taking the form of an episodic story line with each individual short story being directed by a different director. The common denominator with each piece is the fact that each of them take place in the good ole Big Apple.
The film has its share of super stars (Bradley Cooper, Natalie Portman, Orlando Bloom) but the biggest star is the city herself with each building, light, shadow, and sound captured brilliantly by the film's slew of directors.
Every episode and every character never fail to intrigue and while some shine brighter than others each one leaves you wanting more. The film works best within each scene as the wonderful intangibles of such a giant city is focused in 110 intimate minutes between a plethora of great actors and characters.
A jewel of a film that only falters in composition with some of the more conventional scenes followed by abstract formalist cinema that my be confusing to the less experienced cinema goer. But this film being a tribute more than a romance, the daily collision of New Yorkers is (as it is in reality) never planned and always unexpected.
As Ethan Hawke's character states, this metaphorical sharing "of the flame" is what provides the film with its life force, and coincidentally these seemingly random interactions provide the fuel for the magic that has always made New York a prized destination for the gypsy, artist, and lover in all of us.
A city (and film) of dreams and possibilities, New York, I Love You shines by presenting the extraordinary in the seemingly ordinary moments of life.
This review of New York, I Love You (2008) was written by Nick R on 12 Dec 2010.
New York, I Love You has generally received mixed reviews.
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