New York, I Love You
Dirs: Various
Rating: 3.5/ 5.0
Vivendi Entertainment
110 Minutes
The fictional travelogue has experienced resurgence in today’s cinema. Films about cities are nothing new, but with the release of Paris, je t’aime a few years back the idea of exploring a city through fiction has been properly revived. In this tradition, that film’s spiritual successor, New York, I Love You, captures the sights and sounds of another beloved city through the talents of several filmmakers. Paris, je t’aime suffered from some outlandish stories that were more gimmicky than entertaining, but New York, I Love You has a more solid foundation, perhaps because of the less than recognizable names attached, such as Shekhar Kapur, Joshua Marston and Jiang Weng. The film seems to be more focused with the human aspect of the denizens of New York, and as such is a stronger, stimulating vision of the City that Never Sleeps.
The names behind this film are not completely marquee, there are some recognizable talents and the scaled down vision brings out some insight and skill that had been dormant. Brett Ratner, coupled with Rush Hour screenwriter Jeff Nathanson, tells one of the more revelatory stories, starring Anton Yelchin as a just-dumped prom attendee, who agrees to take his local pharmacist’s daughter to the dance, only to discover she is in a wheelchair. Ever the gentleman, Yelchin takes her to prom, where they have a lovely time, and his virtue is rewarded with a creative lovemaking session involving a tree branch and a belt. The chemistry between Yelchin and Olivia Thirlby propels the short, their ease is mirrored by the calm and stirring images of Central Park at night, shot with subtle framing by Pawel Edelman. Naturally, there is a twist, and it feels organic and complete, rather than forced like they can be in connected shorts.
Kapur provides the most ethereal piece, a tender work about the friendship between an aging actress (Julie Christie) and the bellboy at her favorite New York hotel (Shia LeBeouf.) Kapur and cinematographer Benoit Debie use wind and linens to capture a sweeping, airy synecdoche of the city, as Christie’s loneliness is matched, and eventually alleviated by the warmth and admiration of LeBeouf. The film wraps up on an unclear note, but it is more resonant for it.
The most straightforward and affecting short is produced by Maria Full of Grace director Marston, who casts the legendary Eli Wallach and Cloris Leachman as a pair of lifelong New Yorkers traveling to the shore. These elder statesmen still crackle with vitality as a couple that, on first glance, one would assume should never have met, much less married. By the time they reach Brighton Beach’s boardwalk, rendered a stirring gray, they share a brief moment that is more genuine and heartbreaking than any other piece in the film. The film does conclude true to the characters, with their tenderness being interrupted by young skaters, and they share a synchronous moment of rage. It is a lovely, sharply written and suggestive piece, which captures more than any other the relationship between New York and its citizens.
The film sadly does not maintain these highs. Jiang Wen directs the opening film, featuring Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson and Andy Garcia, and while having an interesting premise, it just ends up being an O. Henry story with a considerably less sympathetic lead. Christensen, showing the inimitable loathsomeness that shoved Jumper to the bottom of the charts, uses an atrocious New York accent, and his character’s charm is manipulated into smugness, which is promptly bested by Andy Garcia, who could have easily played the role better at his current age.
The biggest misstep in the film is Zoe- The Video Artist, a character played by Emilie Ohana. She is completely predictable and unexciting as the cohesive thread, as her camera lens captures all of the cast at one point or another. While Ohana is a talented and capable actress, the conceit is just so flat and banal that it reflects negatively on the otherwise inspired film. A thematic thread sufficed in Paris, je t’aime, so why fix it when it’s already working? Natalie Portman’s short about a father and daughter is also just too clichéd and by the numbers for a film that has managed to circumvent its own somewhat pedestrian concept.
New York, I Love You takes its title from an LCD Soundsystem song, and this is reflected in the film- it is lyrical, reflective, and soaring. However, the song carries a parenthetical, which also applies. “You’re Bringing Me Down” can be applied to Jiang Wen’s disappointing work, and the audience insulting Video Artist, which have unintended ramifications and remove the viewer from the diegetic New York rather than entice. Despite its flaws, its triumphs are far more exciting, and New York, I Love You is like an “I Heart NY” shirt- comforting, iconic and accessible.
by Rafael Gaitan
