Similar to the 2006 film "Paris, je t'aime" this delightful film is a col- lection of vignettes, some witty, some poignant, but all memorable, and all featuring well-known faces and personalities, each vignette directed by an established professional. It was so much fun to recognize and identify name after name, face after face.
Just off the top of my head, I recall:
- Hayden Christensen ("Shattered Glass") as a slick pickpocket
- Andy Garcia ("Ocean's" franchise) as an even slicker pickpocket
- Bradley Cooper ("The Hangover") as a frequent taxi fare
- Natalie Portman ("The Other Boleyn Girl") as a Jewish bride
- Ethan Hawke ("Before Sunset") is almost pornographic as a would-be seducer
- Robin Wright Penn ("What Just Happened?") shines as a side- walk smoker
- Shia LaBeouf ("Eagle Eye") is startlingly good as a crippled bellhop
- Julie Christie ("Away From Her") plays a retired (and pensive) opera singer
- James Caan ("Las Vegas") is a nosy pharmacist with a teenage daughter
- Olivia Thirlby ("The Answer Man") is Caan's daugher: a method actor
- Anton Yelchin ("Star Trek") plays a high-school senior whose dreams come true
- Chris Cooper ("Breach") surprises us a couple of times... pleasantly!
Believe me, this is only a fraction of the stars you will smile about, laugh at and grieve for (but mostly laugh!). I would be remiss if I didn't pay a special tribute to Cloris Leachman and Eli Wallach as the 63-years-married couple trudging to Coney Island, kvetching all the way. In addition, Carlos Acosta stunned us with a one-minute dance solo that took my breath away. That segment, directed by Natalie Portman, is NOT to be missed!
This is a MUST-SEE movie for movie lovers.
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