The Film
The stateside version of the 2006 art house film Paris, Je T'Aime portrays situations from failed pick-up attempts to hook-ups and age-old love in the 2009 film New York, I Love You. The 12 short films, each from a different director, are stitched together to reveal tender moments happening around the city. These range from an exchange between a Hasidic Jewish woman (Natalie Portman) on the eve of her wedding and a diamond dealer from India, to a man's (Ethan Hawke) encounter trying to pick up a woman (Maggie Q) who turns out to be a call girl.
Each story remains independent of each other, though some intertwine. New York, I Love You has a knack for capturing the streets of New York. Many stories take place on the gritty Lower East Side or SoHo neighborhoods, whilst others transport viewers to the borough of Brooklyn. The portrayal of the Big Apple is often cliché and reminiscent of a time before any clean up of the city. It's romantic, though sometimes tiresome to watch the city that isn't. While each story captures the essence of a romance or moment for each couple, many stories never quite go anywhere. But through it all, the essence of the Big Apple is captured in unique and sometimes touching ways.
For another take from one that didn't quite love it, check out Karen Dahlstrom's review.
The Picture
Consider this a view of New York from multiple eyes, where the look changes in hue, focus, detail and graininess. Through it all the 1.85:1 1080p presentation retains a crisp look, while the story of a SoHo pickpocket features a slight muted tone, and the story of an aging singer has a definite air of yesteryear. At times the city can come alive, such as colors gleaming and sparkling in the diamond district, almost like the cut of a real diamond. In this case, the film version of 47th Street look better than real life.
The Sound
The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound of New York, I Love You takes full advantage of the city that surrounds the stories. When a bus passes on the street, you hear it move across the screen. The subway rumbles from side to side, and dialog is encumbered by the sounds of the city as one might expect. It is surprising, for a follow-up to a film set in Paris, that New York, I Love You is only available in English language with only English subtitles. However the film's character makes the language selection understandable. It would have been difficult to dub each of 12 storylines into another language without the story being lost in translation. And perhaps the lack of language options is intentional, to create a prototypical American work of art?
The Extras
Special features are slim. Two extra stories that didn't make it into the film; interviews with five directors; a theatrical trailer. It doesn't add up to a full feature list, and there's a few we'd have liked to see. The Blu-ray could include a storyboard or flow chart of where the stories intersect. In such a winsome portrayal of New York, why not pack extras with the city's rich history, diving into the neighborhoods where the film is set?
The two bonus segments, one written and directed by Scarlett Johansson, the other by Andrey Zvyagintsev, were likely cut because they didn't quite fit into the other stories. In the case of the story by Scarlett Johansson with actor Kevin Bacon, the sepia tone of a man's visit to a lonely Coney Island is too far out of touch from the 12 films that made it in the release.
Final Thoughts
New York, I Love You has two things going for it. It's a follow-up to the popular Paris, je T'Aime and it's an anthology film with an impressive roster of actors and directors. The "New York" portrayal is one that's often romanticized in film, though not necessarily the New York that exists today. But even still, it's an interesting glimpse into a dozen different views on the city that never sleeps.
Product Details
- Actors: Natalie Portman, Rachel Bilson, Blake Lively, Shia LaBeouf, Orlando Bloom, Hayden Christensen, Ethan Hawke, Andy Garcia, John Hurt, James Caan
- Directors: Fatih Akin, Yvan Attal, Allen Hughes, Shunji Iwai, Wen Jiang, Joshua Marston, Mira Nair, Brett Ratner, Randall Balsmeyer, Shekhar Kapur, Natalie Portman
- Audio Languages: Dolby Digital 5.1 English
- Subtitles: English SDH
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Number of Discs: 1
- Rating: R
- Studio: Vivendi Entertainment
- Release Date: October 16, 2009 (limited)
- Run Time: 103 Minutes
- List Price: $27.99
- Extras:
- Bonus segments written and directed by Scarlett Johansson and Andrey Zvyagintsev
- 5 director interviews
- Theatrical trailer
