New York, I Love You

Review By: Andrea Tuccillo
AndreaTuccillo@TheCinemaSource.com

Movie Grade: B+

New York, I Love You proves that Manhattan emotion is more than just a tourist t-shirt sentiment. I sometimes judge a movie by how I feel directly after it’s over. After watching this film, while walking to my train, I realized something. I didn’t want to leave the city. So I got to my train stop…and kept walking. And I was walking differently too. I kept looking around at people – which in Manhattan, let’s face it, we rarely do. There was a couple with their arms around each other walking leisurely in front of me, the woman talking hurriedly on her cell phone about what went on at work that day, the family taking pictures excitedly by a fountain. Ten blocks later, I was feeling wistful, yet content about this great city that never sleeps. That’s how I knew I liked New York, I Love You.

Those snapshots of life that I saw on my brief walk basically describe what the movie is like: A collection of snapshots – small vignettes that, while not entirely realistic, represent the certain magical qualities the city can provide. In case you’re unfamiliar with the concept, New York, I Love You is the second in a series of films that producer Emmanuel Benbihy calls “Cities of Love.” The first was Paris Je T’aime, and they’re planning four more after this one. Benbihy amasses a collection of diverse directors, writers and actors to bring the storytelling to life. Each segment was shot over just two days. There are 11 segments in total that run about 8 minutes long each. I always enjoy when a movie messes with structure, so this was a welcome change of pace.

I viewed each of the segments as a mini-fairytale. They all contained a twist of some kind – something out of the ordinary. There’s a lot to dissect here, what with nearly half of Hollywood appearing in the film and all. So instead of mentioning everything, I’ll focus on the vignettes I thought were the most and least successful. (The plain ol’ mediocre ones you can figure out by process of elimination.)

The segment directed by Allen Hughes was one of my favorites. It features Drea de Matteo and Bradley Cooper as a couple on their way to meet up with each other again after what they thought was a one-night stand. Most of the dialogue takes place in their heads, as they make their separate journeys toward one another. It perfectly captures the swirling thoughts of apprehension, uncertainty and vulnerability that two people dare not say out loud.

Another great vignette plays out under the direction of Yvan Attal and stars Chris Cooper and Robin Wright Penn as two people encountering each other outside of a restaurant who end up having a surprising connection. The final piece of the film, directed by Joshua Marston, ventures outside Manhattan to Brighton Beach with an elderly married couple ...