2 Days in Paris

Stars: Julie Delpy, Adam Goldberg, Daniel Bruhl, Albert Delpy, Marie Pillet

Director: Julie Delpy

This is virtually a one-woman show. Hollywood-based French star Julie Delpy wrote, edited, scored and directed this tale of a couple (herself and Goldberg) staying two days in the French capital, where her (very) eccentric parents live.

Her father (Delpy's real-life pere, Albert) propositions every girl he meets, is generally badly behaved and has an art gallery which shows his pornographic pictures with some success; while her mother (Pillet, Delpy's real-life maman), once had an affair with Jim Morrison of The Doors. They embarrass Goldberg at every turn.

Delpy herself is a photographer who likes to take pictures of naked men with balloons tied to their private parts. Short-tempered and neurotic, she has a swearing match with a taxi driver and a free fight in a restaurant with an ex boyfriend. This woman needs help.

The film itself is occasionally funny, but also immensely tedious and self-indulgent most of the time. Delpy, who also acted as stills photographer on the film, wrote herself a moving little speech at the end about the necessity of having to settle down with one man, but it's too little and too late. Cat-lovers, though, will just adore Jean-Luc, a huge, docile, fluffy, black-and-white job played by a cat called Max. I want him.

Alan Frank

France/Germany 2006. UK Distributor: The Works. Colour.
101 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 1, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 2.

Review date: 27 Aug 2007