One city, ten directors and a cast of familiar faces await audiences of New York, I Love You. This follow-up to Paris je t’aime, a surprise box office hit that saw famous directors craft odes to the city of love, will leave many disappointed. This so-called love letter to the Big Apple is a fizzer that doesn’t even come close to approaching the joie de vivre of its Parisian ancestor.Ten directors from assorted nationalities and backgrounds made individual short films and they have all been sown together into a rather lazy patchwork that does nothing to represent the truly one-of-a-kind energy of New York City, or express the feeling of never-ending opportunities that the city exudes. Instead, New York, I Love You is a rather cold and lifeless exploration of the city, done without style or flare.
The roster of filmmakers in this instalment of the series has taken a significant dive. Recognisable names include Brett Ratner (Rush Hour), Shakhar Kapur (Elizabeth) and Mira Nair (Amelia) and even Natalie Portman. Not exactly Gus Van Sant, Alexander Payne or Joel and Ethan Coen. While the cast is better, even the presence of acting greats such as Julie Christie (Away From Her), Cloris Leachman (The Last Picture Show) and James Caan (The Godfather) can’t disguise the decidedly weak rollcall of others such as Bradley Cooper (The Hangover), Andy Garcia (Ocean’s 13), Rachel Bilson (The OC) and Anton Yelchin (Star Trek).
While a lot of the cast are uninspiring, there are lovely turns from some unexpected sources. Maggie Q (Mission Impossible 3) shows spice as the victim of Ethan Hawke’s (Training Day) wandering eye, Qi Shu (The Transporter) is quite tender as a sad woman who wants to become an artist’s muse, and Orlando Bloom (Lord of the Rings) has some nice comic timing as a musician, flirting with a mysterious woman (Christina Ricci, The Opposite of Sex). Shia LaBeouf (Disturbia), too, pulls out an unexpected turn as a hotel concierge in a dilapidated hotel.
Unfortunately it is the writers and directors who let the film down. Artists that have made filming New York City their life’s work – Woody Allen, Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, Nora Ephron – are not only absent, but so is their voice. The New York on display here is an insular and unexciting one. It may be clichéd but where are the long walks through Central Park? The discussions about art amongst intellectual types in Village cafes? The event-filled subway rides that we’ve all come to expect from New York visitors? Disappointing too is the complete lack of any queer-related stories, which is especially glaring considering New York City is the worldwide epicentre for gay culture.
Cinema-goers won’t find much to dig their teeth into with this disappointing collection of shorts. You may wish some were longer – Israeli director Yvan Attal’s segment is the highlight – while wishing others didn’t exist at all – Jiang Wen’s is particularly woeful. This is a disappointing trip to this legendary town.
New York, I Love You is released nationally on Thursday 13th May
Directors: Fatih Akin, Yvan Attal, Allen Hughes, Shunji Iwai, Wen Jiang, Joshua Marsden, Mira Nair, Brett Ratner, Randall Balsmeyer, Shekhar Kapur & Natalie Portman
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Hayden Christensen, Andy Garcia, Rachel Bilson, Natalie Portman, Irrfan Kahn, Orlando Bloom, Christina Ricci, Maggie Q, Ethan Hawke, Anton Yelchin, James Caan, Olivia Thirlby, Drea De Matteo, Julie Christie, Shia LaBeouf, John Hurt, Chris Cooper, Robin Wright Penn, Eli Wallach and Cloris Leachman
Oh, well. Anton Yelchin is still adorable.