Paris, je t'aime (2006)

Through the neighborhoods of Paris, love is veiled, revealed, imitated, sucked dry, reinvented and awakened.

Directors:

Olivier Assayas, Frédéric Auburtin,

Writers:

Emmanuel Benbihy (transitions), Bruno Podalydès (segment),

Stars:

Florence Muller, Leonor Watling, Juliette Binoche

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Florence Muller	...	La jeune femme (segment "Montmartre")
Bruno Podalydès	...	L'automobiliste (segment "Montmartre") (as Bruno Podalydes)
Leïla Bekhti	...	Zarka (segment "Quais de Seine")
Cyril Descours	...	François (segment "Quais de Seine")
Marianne Faithfull	...	Marianne (segment "Le Marais")
Elias McConnell	...	Elie (segment "Le Marais")
Gaspard Ulliel	...	Gaspard (segment "Le Marais")
Steve Buscemi	...	Le touriste (segment "Tuileries")
Julie Bataille	...	Julie (segment "Tuileries")
Axel Kiener	...	Axel (segment "Tuileries")
Catalina Sandino Moreno	...	Ana (segment "Loin du 16e")
Li Xin	...	Madame Li (segment "Porte de Choisy")
Barbet Schroeder	...	Monsieur Henny (segment "Porte de Choisy")
Miranda Richardson	...	La femme au trench rouge (segment "Bastille")
Sergio Castellitto	...	Le mari (segment "Bastille")

Storyline

Paris, je t'aime is about the plurality of cinema in one mythic location: Paris, the City of Love. Twenty filmmakers have five minutes each; the audience must weaving a single narrative out of twenty moments. The 20 moments are fused by transitional interstitial sequences and also via the introduction and epilogue. Each transition begins with the last shot of the previous film and ends with the first shot of the following film, extending the enchantment and the emotion of the previous segment, preparing the audience for a surprise, and providing a cohesive atmosphere. There's a reappearing mysterious character who is a witness to the Parisian life. A common theme of Paris and love fuses all.

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Plot Keywords:

love | tourist | restaurant | actress | oscar wilde | 

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Taglines:

Fall in Love 18 Times

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and brief drug use

Details

Official Sites:

First Look Studios [us]

Country:

France Liechtenstein Switzerland Germany

Language:

French English Spanish Mandarin Arabic

Release Date:

21 June 2006 (France)

Also Known As:

Paris, I Love You

Filming Locations:

Quartier Latin, Paris 5, Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$39,242 (USA) (4 May 2007)

Gross:

$4,857,376 (USA) (3 August 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Victoires International, Pirol Stiftung, Filmazure

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Since the Coen Brothers knew they only had two days to shoot their sequence and were working on a very tight schedule, they elected to mount it in a metro station just in case it might rain.

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Goofs

In the segment 'Père-Lachaise,' when William (Rufus Sewell) confronts Frances (Emily Mortimer), his coat is buttoned to the neck. The camera cuts to Frances, and back to William, his coat now open. The next time William appears, his coat is buttoned-up again. William (apparently) hasn't moved at all.

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Quotes

The Husband: [In voice-over narration] By acting like a man in love, he became a man in love again.

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Connections

References Damnation (1988)

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Soundtracks

"Tien Ya Ge Nu (The Wandering Songstress)"
Written by Han Tian and Lu Tong Ha
Performed by Zhou Xuan

User Reviews

18 directors talk love

Just saw this tonight at a seminar on digital projection (shot on 35mm, and first feature film fully scanned in 6k mastered in 4k, and projected with 2k projector at ETC/USC theater in Hwd)..so much for tech stuff. 18 directors (including Alexander Payne, Wes Cravens, Joel and Ethan Coen, Gus Van Sant, Walter Salles and Gerard Depardieu, among several good French/ international directors) were each given 5 minutes to make a love story. They come in all shapes and forms, with known actors(Elijah Wood, Natalie Portman, Steve Buscemi ..totally hilarious..., Maggie Glyllenhall, Nick Nolte, Geena Rowlands ..soo good..and she actually wrote the piece she was in, Msr Depardieu and many good international actors as well. The stories vary from all out romance to quirky comedy to Alex Payne's touching study of a woman discovering herself to Van Sant and one of those things that happens anywhere..maybe? Nothing really off putting by having French spoken in most sequences (with English subtitles) and a small amount of actual English spoken, though that will probably relegate it to art houses (a la Diva.) Also only one piece that might be considered "experimental" but colorful and funny as well, the rest simple studies of sometimes complex relationships. All easy to follow (unless the "experimental" one irritates your desire for a formulaic story. Several brought up some emotions for me...I admit I am affected by love in cinema...when it is presented in something other than sentimentality. I even laughed at a mime piece, like no other I have seen (thank you for that!) The film hit its peak, for me, somewhere around a little more than half way through, then the last two sequences picked up again. Some beautiful shots of Paris at night, lush romantic kind of music, usually used to good effect, not just schmaltz for "emotions" in sound, generally good cinematography, though some shots seemed soft focus when it couldn't have meant to have been (main character in shot/scene). Pacing of each film was good, and overall structure, though a bit long (they left out two of what was to be 20 films, but said all would be on the DVD) seemed to vary between tones of the films to keep a good balance. Not sure when it comes out, but a good study of how to make a 5 min film work..and sometimes, what doesn't work (if it covers too much time, emotionally, for a short film.) Should be in region one when released, but they didn't know when.