2 Days in New York 2.5/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli
2 Days in New York is a sequel to, and an improvement upon, 2007’s 2 Days in Paris..writes James Berardinelli.
Written, directed, and starring Julie Delpy, the movies follow the misadventures of a 30-something Parisian transplanted to New York City. In the first film, Delpy’s Marion returns to Paris for a brief vacation with her boyfriend, Jack, in an attempt to rekindle their romance. We learn in 2 Days in New York that it didn’t really work. Jack is now out of the picture but Marion stayed in New York so her young son can spend time with his dad. She now lives with Mingus (Chris Rock), a writer and radio talk show host. Following the death of her mother, her father, Jeannot (Albert Delpy), and sister, Rose (Alexia Landeau), come to visit Marion in New York. Along for the ride is Manu (Alex Nahon), one of Marion’s ex-boyfriends who happens to be Rose’s current lover.
2 Days in Paris was a talky, unappealing affair that tried to recapture some of the energy and uniqueness of the romantic duology, Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, in which Delply co-starred with Ethan Hawke. Fortunately, 2 Days in New York is freed from the constraint of two lovers wandering the streets of a European city, and concentrates instead on domestic turmoil. Instead of gleaning inspiration from Richard Linklater for this outing, Delpy has turned to Cedric Klapisch, whose Un Air de Famille represents a high water mark in the family conflict genre. It’s said that guests, like fish, stink after three days. In the case of Marion’s family, it takes considerably less time for them to wear out their welcome.
Watch the trailer…
