2 Days in New York

A follow-up to Julie Delpy's first directorial effort, "Two Days in Paris," that's quite a bit more entertaining, IMHO, than the original. The premise—JD and Chris Rock are Marion and Mingus, Downtown culture workers with two slightly troubled, adorable kids—doesn't quite fulfill its promise but fans of Richard Linklater's "Before" films might want to take a chance.

The main storyline chugs along pretty nicely: the couple endures a brief visit from her elderly flowerchild father ("he says that showers deplete the immune system"), tactlesss sister and sister's doltish boyfriend. Parallel plots involving a gallery opening (she's some sort of conceptual art photog) and a colossal Lucy-style whopper she tells a neighbor to get out of a minor scrape are a little draggy, though a couple of these filler scenes have a modest payoff later on. Delpy plays pretty much the same talky, frazzled, excitable character she does in the "Before" films; Chris Rock seems a little colorless (as it were), as if he's trying too hard to escape from his standup persona (the scenes where he soliloquizes to a cardboard-cutout Obama didn't do much for me).

Delpy's been accused of being a self-hating Frenchy, but I think the point is that people tend to behave as if the stuff they do in a foreign country doesn't really go on their permanent record—Sis swans around in a T-shirt that doesn't quite cover her butt, par example, Dad takes his keys to the lustrous flanks of a stretch Hummer (back home he only does that if they're parked on the sidewalk), boyfriend Manu commits every possible faux pas. The highpoint is a scene where Mingus, who writes for the Village Voice, is trying to score points with a dark-complected White House staffer (not played by Kal Penn) they run into in a café, and the sisters immediately start bickering while Manu babbles on about Harold and Kumar going to White Castle… Not a must-see at all but definitely watchable.

PS—a reviewer down below insists that Marion's French connections don't act right b/c they're "gritty" Bretons, not Parisians. Au contraire! Both films make clear that Dad's a gallery owner, Sis a child psychologist and Manu some sort of writer; they're from Paris.

I discovered Julie Delpy in the "Before..." trilogy and was thrilled to see she's written, directed and acted in these two "2 Days..." films. Seeing "2 Days In Paris" shortly before viewing this movie was helpful because there's so much that carries over from that original to this sequel.

Everything about this movie appeals to me. The entertaining mix of farcical humor (low art) and metaphysical inquiry (high art) is reminiscent of Woody Allen's best work. And the quality of the writing is high. The dialogue Julie crafts sounds authentic and makes the characters credible.

Also charming is her choice of cast-members. I'm a big fan of Daniel Brühl from his superb work in "Rush" (and "Inglourious Basterds"), so seeing him in cameos in these two films is a delight. And adding the infamous artist who plays the purchaser of Julie's character's soul is inspired. I leapt with joy at seeing that surprise.

Independent film exists for personal, well-crafted art and Julie Delpy is supplying us with some nice work. I'll follow her future efforts without exception.

Coming from someone who enjoyed "2 Days in Paris" but was annoyed by the forever cynical and far too whiny Adam Goldberg, "2 Days in New York" is an altogether better rehashing of its predecessor from writer/director Julie Delpy (but this time in New York and with Chris Rock). Starring Delpy, once again as the main character Marion, "2 Days in New York" also sees the same actors reprising their roles, including Alexia Landeau as Rose, the antagonistic sister and Alexandre Nahon as Manu, the horned-up ex-boyfriend (and in this film, Rose's current boyfriend). Delpy, the woman obsessed with exploring finite segments of relationships, has written and directed a film which is visually nowhere near excellent, but does contain an abundance of very witty dialogue that rivals the likes of Woody Allen…if Woody Allen was a neurotic French woman. Let me put it this way; only in a Julie Delpy movie could one hear a "Waiting For Godot" joke followed by a Salt-n-Pepa joke.

The Plot: The very beginning of "2 Days in New York" neatly ties up all loose ends from the previous Jack and Marion relationship and quickly delves into the story of Marion and her new African American (you've hooked me already) boyfriend Mingus (I know, what an unfortunate name) played by Chris Rock. Their relationship is described to be something of a fairytale (but not quite a Disney fairytale, because they are in an interracial relationship). But when Marion's very French family comes to visit, a series of catastrophically comical Woody Allen-esque happenstances ensue, which could result in a breakup; and more astoundingly yet another failed relationship for Marion.

While the chemistry between Rock and Delpy is very convincing here, Delpy's writing is still the driving force which allows this story to work so well. And the reason the writing works so well is, like a great piece of stand-up comedy, Delpy has created a film centered around a series of culturally comical skits dealing with the French/American interactions, or cultural relations. But more impressive (and maybe more importantly) this female Woody Allen has created a venue for Chris Rock to find a happy-medium between his weak dramatic abilities and his strong comedic skills.

Chris Rock as an Actor: I've never thought much of Rock (maybe the funniest comedian alive) as an actor. And who would blame me with a filmography which includes "Grown Ups", "Head of State" and "Osmosis Jones". But, with that said, a movie like "2 Days in New York" sees a type of role Chris Rock should be striving to get. The Mingus character is one that while conducive to a scene or two of Rock's babbling stand-up bit, is accentuated by loads of very subtle adult comedy and some very low key romantic moments, that which showcases Rock's acting potential in a non-slapstick fashion.

Final Thought: Even though, for some people, this entire film may feel like a retelling of its predecessor, only with the characters being a little bit older and the addition of Rock, the "2 Day" premise (as a whole) is still a very strong one that hasn't gotten old yet. In my opinion, even if all of the jokes are based on the familiar lost in translation sequences, Delpy's joke writing is so strong that through her films audiences can see the blueprints of what a good culture clash romantic comedy is suppose to look like. Long story short, if you are trying to decide between going to see "2 Days in New York" or "To Rome with Love", I'll put it to you this way: interracial relationships all the way.

Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. Ashland Follow me on Twitter @moviesmarkus

Julie Delpy really has a good ear for shrewdly observational, overlapping conversations. It started with her Richard Linklater- directed bookends, 1995's "Before Sunrise" and 2004's "Before Sunset", in which she and Ethan Hawke contributed much of their own dialogue (and earned adapted screenplay Oscar nominations for the latter). She then translated her unique gift to her own sophomore directorial effort, 2007's "2 Days in Paris", a romantic dramedy that mined her character's repressed hesitancies about settling down with a neurotic, irritating interior decorator named Jack. Delpy comes back again as the star, director, and writer (this time partnering with co-star Alexia Landeau, who plays her sister Rose) of this 2012 sequel, a culture clash comedy paced like a free-for-all French farce. Although the results are not always fortuitous, her aptitude as a filmmaker has clearly improved since Paris, this time aided by a far more likable leading man, an atypically subdued Chris Rock versus the insufferable Adam Goldberg who is blessedly absent from this film.

Delpy herself plays the same character, artist Marion Dupré, picking up her life in New York a few years after she broke up with Jack, had his baby, and moved in with Mingus, a talk- radio host. Instead of wallowing in commitment issues, Marion is now juggling a busy life raising her towheaded toddler Lulu as well as Mingus' young daughter Willow, and at the same time, getting ready for an exhibit of her photographs at a gallery. Nevertheless, she is still the same intensely self-doubting woman, a Gallic Annie Hall for the millennium with a saucy temperament. Her relationship with the ever-patient Mingus is put to the test when her recently widowed father Jeannot, her passive-aggressive sister Rose, and Rose's clueless, pot-smoking boyfriend Manu all come for a weekend visit. Delpy wisely uses Mingus as the audience's proxy watching her family as exaggerated caricatures of French stereotypes. This is where she shows a genuinely deft hand in presenting everyone's vitriolic, self-absorbed behavior including Marion who is constantly goaded into childishness by Rose's indirect insults. In fact, her family becomes a comical circus sideshow, a constant public embarrassment forcing Marion to tell a whopper of a lie about a phony brain tumor to her nasty neighbors who want her evicted.

Where Delpy goes a bit too far is the somewhat surreal part when Marion decides to sell her soul as part of the exhibit and tries to get it back from the Mephistophelian buyer, who is none other than indie filmmaker Vincent Gallo. Using such an extreme plot conceit, she appears to be overreaching on deeper issues of identity and family loss, but the movie eventually recovers its comic rhythm. The puppet framing device is trite but probably effective for those who had not seen the previous film. As Mingus, Rock grounds the story with his terrifically caustic performance, whether dealing with the next appalling act of his unpredictable in-laws or talking privately to a cardboard cut-out of Obama for spiritual guidance. Albert Delpy, Julie's real-life father, returns as the Bad Santa-like Jeannot and has a grand time portraying his character's whimsical child-like manner. Landeau has a good time playing the selfish sister from hell as Rose, while Alexandre Nahon, who helped with the development of the story, easily plays the boorish interloper that is Manu. Kate Burton and especially Dylan Baker have a few moments to shine as the intrusive neighbors. Delpy's obvious role model continues to be early-period Woody Allen, and she manages to work in his oeuvre with surprising fluidity.

I think it's hilarious that some of the reviewers chastise the FRENCH Julie Delpy for portraying French people abroad in an unbelievable and unflattering light. Yeah of course you are more likely to be right! Part of the charm of the movie is showing that many cultures, when travelling, behave far more informally than they do at home. The situations here are supposed to be caricatures and not politically correct plastic people and they work well. And yes, the French talk about sex a lot - it's part of their charm - and they like to embarrass each other too. These guys are supposed to be from Brittany which isn't Parisienne sophistication but rural grit and it makes for a very funny movie that doesn't contain a Allen-esque message but is great entertainment pure and simple. Don't come to the movie expecting Chris Rock standup and zaniness (great casting for that reason alone) but to be humoured in a gentle way more reminiscent of slapstick than Woody Allen. Julie Delpy writes very well and maintains a good pace as director. All in all a job well done.