2 Days in Paris

8/10. Saw this on May 27 at the Bubenberg in Bern.

Like Sarah Polley and Adrienne Shelly, Julie Delpy started her movie career young and made a name for herself in well-regarded out-of-the-mainstream fare. And like Polley and Shelly, 2007 finds Delpy breaking out in a big way as a writer/director.

Polley’s Away From Her and Shelly’s Waitress are both currently enjoying limited-release success in the States (with the latter rapidly expanding into a bonafide hit). Based on the large & receptive audience at 2 Days in Paris last Sunday, Delpy’s romantic comedy will follow in their footsteps when it opens in the U.S. in August.

Marion (Delpy) and her American boyfriend Jack (Adam Goldberg) stop in her hometown of Paris on their way back to New York from a holiday in Italy. At first, Jack’s encounters with Marion’s eccentric family & friends are humorous -- but then every other man they meet turns out to be one of Marion’s ex-boyfriends, and Jack’s insecurities start to overwhelm him, pushing their relationship toward the brink.

A funny and perceptive movie, 2 Days in Paris struggles a bit about two-thirds of the way in, when it seems that Delpy has lost her way & might be considering a When Harry Met Sally-style wrap-up. But when the ending comes, it’s heartbreakingly appropriate, and in fact brings into sharp focus what the entire movie has been all about.