2 Days in New York
by Al Hoff
It's two days of family craziness in this madcap comedy from French actress Julie Delpy. These 2 Days are a sequel to 2007's 2 Days in Paris. Now, Marion (Delpy) is living in New York with a toddler and a new man, Mingus (Chris Rock), an NPR host, and his daughter. They're living that fussy but comfortable Upper West Side dream. Sample worries: Marion has an art opening, and the elevator buzzer is broken. Then Marion's dad (played by her real-life father, Albert Delpy), sister Rose (Alexia Landeau) and boorish ex-boyfriend Manu (Alexandre Nahon) arrive from Paris for a visit. (All actors reprise their roles from Paris.)
The visitors beget plenty of bilingual and cross-cultural comic mayhem, as the extended family are variously inappropriately naked, too uptight, too French, not black enough, hungry, horny, frazzled and too obsessed with death. Rock is mostly the straight man, though his inability to follow what's said in French generates some good comic moments.
It's an uneven work at times: The French visitors are essentially caricatures — papa is the very definition of the irascible old coot who smells of cheese — and the ending is six different kinds of hokey. But there are some smarter observations, such as how the presence of her family causes Marion to revert to impolite behavior, or the limitations of politically correct liberal behavior when dealing with rudeness. The film is fast-paced; Dylan Baker and Vincent Gallo drop by; and if this is simply a more highbrow Meet the Parents, then at least it's funny.
More by Al Hoff
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Admission
A less frantic, slightly more mature version of the same old rom-com, starring pros Tina Fey and Paul Rudd
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The Company You Keep
A star-packed thriller that fails to make an exciting case
- Apr 24, 2013
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