Movie Review: '2 Days in Paris' (2007)

I enjoy talky movies most of the time, especially when done very well and the characters involved are engaging with the dialog and with each other. A talky movie to me is defined as a film taking place mostly with dialog as the main element of the plot.

2 Days in Paris is a comedy written by Julie Delpy, from Before Sunset and Before Sunrise fame. I adore both of those movies, but Before Sunrise was the first and it really nailed the whole talk-driven storyline. I could talk a lot more about Sunrise but suffice it to say, watching Ethan Hawke and Delpy wander the streets of Vienna and fall in love will always go down as one of my favorite moments in cinema.

Delpy was one of the main writers on the Before Sunset, so that experience must have given her the confidence to do an entire film on her own. 2 Days in Paris is not only written and directed by Delpy, but she also is the female lead and composes and sings a few songs for the soundtrack.

Oh yeah, she edited the movie as well. And knowing all that made me like the film a bit more than I might have otherwise.

The movie takes place in France, where Marion (Delpy) and her boyfriend Jack (played by the hilarious Adam Goldberg) take a trip to Europe to try and rekindle their relationship that has been going on two years.

It starts out rough as both get sick in Venice, so they go to Paris, were Marion is from. They end up renting an apartment upstairs from her parents.

At first all seems normal. They enjoy a kind of high-paced banter back and forth, not arguing, but almost like a competitive discussion. They relish in each other’s company and make each other laugh. Goldberg has a great delivery about him and he looks pretty crazy here with tattoos, bushy hair and a big beard.

He’s been one of my favorites since his hilarious role as the crazy roommate on Friends.

Delpy is sort of a mess for many scenes, wearing big glasses and looking like she just got off an 8-hour train ride.

Once they get settled in, the two decide to walk around Paris to see some of Marion’s favorite sights and places Jack wants to see.

They run into an ex-boyfriend of Marion’s. Then they head to an art show for her father later than night, and Jack meets another ex. And suddenly it seems like every guy they meet was once in some sort of sexual relationship with Marion, one of them still leaving dirty text messages on her phone.

As any guy would agree, the jealously instincts kick in and Jack starts questioning things.

The movie’s dialog is pretty funny at times, but in other places it feels a bit forced and unrealistic. The film is laced with references to sex and nudity, in fact Goldberg might have been more shirtless in 2 Days in Paris than Matthew McConaghey was in Fool’s Gold. We also get a pretty raunchy art show that seemed pulled directly from the stash of drawings Jonah Hill did in Superbad.

There is a ton of talking and a good amount of French dialog with subtitles. Jack also can’t speak much French, so there were some funny moments in scenes where he was clueless as to what was happening around him.

Goldberg’s comedic timing was needed here, otherwise it could have been pretty dull. Delpy put out a decent script, but in parts it was just a bit too over the top. I give her props for the effort and if it was my first film, I’d be ecstatic.

On a scale of 1-5 popcorns: