Paris, Je' T'aime: Dazzling Tales
Fall in Love 18 Times in the City of Lights.
Set in various Parisian neighborhoods, international directors collaboratively create vignettes that portray romance, longing, loneliness, irony, and self-realization.
In Paris, waking up to exciting sights and enticing sounds that reach the senses brings new possibilities. Walking near petite cafes and bistros entreats you to eat, drink, and converse; simply being in the middle of the bustling city becomes both enthralling and enchanting. Somehow, the City of Lights breathes life into all who choose to pass through.
In the film, Paris, Je, T’aime 18 directors, including Gus Van Sant, Ethan and Joel Coen, Wes Craven, and Alexander Payne to name a few, collectively create 18 vignettes. Their work results in a love letter to Paris. Each short-short portrays human relationships in Parisian neighborhoods. No matter if the story is filled with laughter or tears, satire or sarcasm, loss or myth, the audience is never bored. In their film, they weave a common thread through the streets of Paris exploring the different angles of love.
The Coen brothers develop a story about an American tourist’s (Steve Buscemi) unfortunate encounter with a Parisian couple when he ignored the guidebook’s advice to avoid eye contact while waiting in the Metro station. While hilarious to watch, the story also contained a twinge of shock. Buscemi’s loneliness is palpable.
Wes Craven directs Père-Lachaise cemetery with Rufus Sewell and Emily Mortimer. They play a newly engaged couple visiting Oscar Wilde’s grave. She realizes that her fiancée really is a bore and, magically, Wilde appears to advise him on how to win her back. It’s a lovely tale of whimsy.
Directors Walter Salles and Daniela Thomas take us to Loin Du 16e. A mother (Catalina Sandino Moreno) leaves her baby in the morning to care for a rich Parisian’s baby. The only way she can care for her child is to care for another’s.
Of course, no film would be complete without the sophisticated estranged couple that meets to ask for an amicable divorce. In the Latin Quarter, Gérard Depardieu gracefully directs a nouvelle starring Gena Rowlands and Ben Gazzara. Underneath their polite conversation emerge deep tones of resentment and, even, unmistakable affection.
Probably the most poignant vignette in the batch is 14eme Arrondisement directed by Alexander Payne which depicts the simple story of a middle-aged Denver woman who travels to Paris. The audience listens to her badly learned French and experiences Paris vicariously through her.
Although some pieces may appear uneven at times, the variety in color, texture, and tone satisfies all viewers. Collectively, the 18 directors create a dazzling sky with shining stars. Je,T’aime offers solace to every individual, creed, and race that hopes to love in a city so unique.
