Paris Je T'aime

Minus the segment on Frodo meets Dracula, Paris Je T'aime was nothing short of charming. Though I must say Christopher Doyle's work was rather embarrassing. His representation of—by the looks of the happenings—a drugged China Town consisting of women and monks left me très très puzzled. He relied too much on his fancy camerawork and completely failed to take advantage of the beauty of the city on which the whole film is based. The segment could've been shot in Sheung Wan for all I know. And as much as I appreciate Faye Wong's music, it just did not go with the rest of whatever the hell it was that went on in those five dreadful minutes. Seems like Doyle's still entangled in the Wong Kar Wai's doodle.

But don't get me wrong though, I think this film is very much worth watching, dare I say even more so than A Night in Paris. Overall, the two hours of love tales in the city of lights was heart-warming. Excluding the aforementioned, even the bad parts were good, and even the melancholy and bitterness portrayed were pleasant. A background in the French language is not necessary to enjoy Paris Je T'aime, except maybe to grasp why Margo Martindale's accent was funny. In fact, the sans-subtitles segment with Steve Buscemi proved to be one of the best by putting the non-French audience right in the perspective of the apprehensive tourist he plays, no less.