“Paris, Je T’Aime” is aimed at cinephiles as well as viewers with short attention spans. The film actually consists of a collection of shorts by miscellaneous directors from various countries. Each vignette lasts about five minutes, so there’s hardly any time to get sentimentally attached to the characters. The directors in “Paris” seem more concerned with conveying elusive moods rather than telling comprehensive stories. The collection allows viewers to sample a variety of cinematic styles and approaches, ranging from melodrama to surrealism. Even if you do not like a particular short, there’s a good chance you might like the next one… and the one after that.
The somewhat misleading foreign title might be off-putting to mainstream audiences (hence “Paris” is only playing at the Bijou), but the film itself does not just feature French actors and directors. In fact, some Hollywood stars like Elijah Wood, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Willem Dafoe and Gena Rowlands join the likes of international favorites Juliette Binoche, Gérard Depardieu, Emily Mortimer and Catalina Sandino Moreno in this interesting display of distinct creative initiatives. Moreover, not all vignettes in “Paris” are entirely in French, so viewers with a strong aversion to subtitles may actually find the film’s “foreignness” bearable.
Although the film’s vignettes could easily be (and, in fact, have been by several critics) reduced to common themes such as love, loss or miscommunication, “Paris” ultimately resists an unequivocal thematic classification simply because each short is unique in its own way. The directors each bring their own flavor to this anthology, and some even try to incorporate elements from their previous work in order to establish an individual style that sets them apart from the rest of the ensemble. Tom Tykwer’s segment, for instance, momentarily escalates into a fast-paced race reminiscent of the vigorous rhythm in “Run Lola Run.” Gus Van Sant’s vignette, “Le Marais,” is loaded with predictable queer overtones that the Van Sant connoisseur immediately recognizes. While master of horror Wes Craven produces an atypically non-scary short for “Paris,” he does make a cameo appearance in Vincenzo Natali’s vampire-themed bloodfest “Quartier de la Madeleine.” Viewers familiar with each director’s particularities will no doubt appreciate these subtle “insider’s jokes” strategically placed in “Paris.”
Paris is probably the only unifying element in the film, but even the city is filtered through disparate directorial visions. Every separate fragment in the film presents a version of Paris that is open to interpretation. In some cases, Paris becomes an abstract locale that could very well be any other place in the world. Essentially, the city of Paris provides the backdrop for assorted manifestations of the human condition as well as the pretext for numerous reflections on cinematic experimentation.
Admittedly, some shorts are not short enough, as “Paris” is not without its tedious and drawn-out moments. However, there are definitely parts that will leave viewers longing for more. The obligatory dissolves and the establishing shots of Paris that forge transitions between segments often fail to conceal the fact that some vignettes end too abruptly. This cinematic endeavor would have probably fared better had it consisted of fewer and longer films. It is nearly impossible to remember every single work unless you watch “Paris” more than once. Re-watching “Paris” is therefore a prerequisite for fully appreciating the uniqueness in each of its fragments.