Paris, Je t'Aime

Have you heard about this one? It consists of 17 different films about different parts of Paris and why they are loved. It boasts far more directors than features, e.g., Ethan and Joel Coen are counted separately, but they jointly directed only one feature: "The Tuileries."

These films are of various lengths, some as long as 10 minutes, while others are far shorter. One is shot in a single continuous take, while others have more standard editing. Some are funny, some tragic. Some are sad, others poignant.

Actors include, Ben Gazzara, Gena Rowlands, Marianne Faithfull, Steve Buscemi, Nick Nolte, Miranda Richardson, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Fanny Ardant, Elijah Wood, Bob Hoskins, Rufus Sewell, Emily Mortimer, Natalie Portman, Gerard Depardieu, plus dozens of French actors and actresses.

An American actress, Margo Martindale, plays an American "woman of a certain age" who has come to Paris and is thinking her thoughts in French as a voice-over. I had to laugh, as her French is so bad I could almost understand her! She has been in dozens of American films as a character actress. She was particularly effective as the hateful mother in "Million Dollar Baby."

This is an experimental effort and has that feel. I found the ending very satisfying, as it seemed to tie a number of the disparate segments into a more cohesive whole. This is for the adventurous, not for the viewer who wants a beginning, a middle and an end.

Be advised....