Paris Je'Taime (Paris I Love You)

Plot: Twenty filmmakers create a panoramic portrait of stories of love from the city of love. In English, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Mandarin with subtitles.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSZOGywlhzE

Starring: "Le Marais": Gaspard Ulliel (Ultimatum). "Tuileries": Emmy nominee Steve Buschemi ("30 Rock"). "Loin du 16e": OScar nominee Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace). "Bastille": 2X Oscar nominee Miranda Richardson (Tom & Viv). "Place des Victoires": Oscar winnerJuliette Binoche (The English Patient), 2X Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (Shadow of the Vampire). "Parc Monceau": 2X Oscar nominee Nick Nolte (Afflication & Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore). "Quartier des Enfants Rouges": Oscar nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart). "Pigalle": Oscar nominee Bob Hoskins (Mona Lisa). "Quartier de la Madeleine": Saturn Award winner Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings:The Return of the King) & Olga Kurylenko (Centurion). "Père-Lachaise": Saturn award nominee Emily Mortimer (Transsiberian), Rufus Sewell ("The Pillars of the Earth"). "Faubourg Saint-Denis": Oscar nominee Natalie Portman (Closer). "Quartier Latin": 2X Oscar nominee Gena Rowlands (Gloria), Oscar nominee Gerard Depardieu (Cyrano de Bergerac). "14e Arrondissement": Margo Martindale ("Mercy").

Written by: "Montmartre": director. "Quais de Seine": WGA award winner Paul Mayeda(What's Cooking?") & director: "Le Marais":director. "Tuileries":directors. "Loin du 16e":director & Cannes Golden Palm nomineeDaniela Thomas (Linha de Passe). "Porte de Choisy":director, Gabrielle Keng, & Kathy Li (The Blind). "Bastille": director. "Place des Victoires":director. "Tour Eiffel": director. "Parc Monceau":director. "Quartier des Enfants Rouges":director. "Place des Fêtes":director. "Pigalle":director. "Quartier de la Madeleine": director. "Père-Lachaise": director. "Faubourg Saint-Denis":director. "Quartier Latin": Gena Rowlands. "14e Arrondissement": director & Nadine Eid.

Directed by: "Montmartre": Bruno Podalydes (Park Benches). "Quais de Seine": WGA award winner Gurinder Chada (Bend It Like Bekham). "Le Marais": 2X Oscar nominee Gus Van Sant (Milk). "Tuileries": 4X Oscar winnersJoel & Ethan Coen (No Country For Old Men). "Loin du 16e": 2X Cannes winner Walter Salles (The Motorcycle Diaries). "Porte de Choisy": Cannes winner Christopher Doyle (In the Mood For Love). "Bastille": Cannes Golden Palm nominee Isabel Coixet (Map of the Sounds of Tokyo). "Place des Victoires": Cannes winner Nobuhiro Suwa (M/Other). "Tour Eiffel": 3X Oscar nominee Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets of Belleville). "Parc Monceau": 3X oscar nominee Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men). "Quartier des Enfants Rouges": Cannes nominee Olivier Assayas (Clean). "Place des Fêtes":Oliver Schmitz (Allein unter Schulern). "Pigalle": Oscar nominee Richard LaGravenese (The Fisher King). "Quartier de la Madeleine": Vincenzo Natali (Splice). "Père-Lachaise": Saturn award winner Wes Craven (Scream). "Faubourg Saint-Denis": Saturn award winnerTom Tykwer (Perfume: THe Story of Murderer). "Quartier Latin": Frederic Auburtin (Special Correspondence). "14e Arrondissement": Oscar winner Alexander Payne (Sideways).

Review: I love this movie. All of the different filmmakers not only feature the city, each showcasing a different neighborhood, but also distinguish themselves from each other. Each director's own style serves to feature their part of the city in the best way that suits them as filmmakers. As you're watching you feel this sense of magic, like you're being shown some secret wonderful thing. It doesn't hit you until the end, during the amazing Alexander Payne short that serves as the thematic tie between all the other shorts. You've been shown something unique. Then, it hits you all at once like a wave, and you cry in your pajamas while lying on your futon eating ice cream. Maybe that's just me. What started off as a few cute vignettes, crept up on me quietly, and then suddenly profoundly moved me. This was true art. The companion piece in this series so far is New York I Love You. Check out my review for that film.

Fun Facts: The segment "Parc Monceau" directed by Alfonso Cuarón was shot in a single continuous shot.

Rating:

Writing-A

Acting-A

Directing-A

Music-A

Cinematography-A

Editing-A

Costumes-A

Art Direction-A

Hair-B

Makeup-A

Visual Effects-A

**** Stars