New York, I Love You is a cinematic buffet
New York, I Love You (2009)
Recently, the film Valentine's Day opened up in theatres. Thanks to a cast of A-listers and a lot of advertising force behind it, the romantic film has become a box office hit.
However, another collection of love stories is also being released, and it boasts an equally impressive cast. Opening Friday, February 19 at London's Hyland Cinema, New York, I Love You is a highly entertaining anthology of stories dealing with love (or in some cases lust), all taking place in New York.
Bradley Cooper, Natalie Portman, Shia LaBeouf, Orlando Bloom, Hayden Christensen, Christina Ricci, Rachel Bilson, Blake Lively, Chris Cooper, Ethan Hawke, Andy Garcia and James Caan are just some of the big names who grace the screen in New York, I Love You.
The film features 11 short films, each approximately eight minutes long. Directors were limited to no more than two days of filming, and were only allowed a week of editing time. Some of the stories are sad, some are touching, and some are very funny.
The highlight of the film for me was the vignette directed by Brett Ratner. The director of the Rush Hour series and X-Men: The Last Stand is behind the camera for the film's most lighthearted moment. James Caan plays a pharmacist who takes pity on a young man whose girlfriend has abandoned him before prom. So he sets him up on a replacement date with his daughter. What he neglects to tell the young man is that she is confined to a wheelchair. What starts off as an awkward evening turns into an enjoyable night for the two youngsters, all leading to an ending that truly surprised me.
Another portion that I really liked takes place outside a restaurant. Ethan Hawke (Training Day, Gattaca) and Maggie Q (Mission Impossible III, Live Free or Die Hard) play two strangers who share an intimate moment while smoking. At least that's the way Hawke's character sees it. The viewer is led to believe that she is uncomfortable with his at times quite vulgar dialogue. However, yet another surprise ending shows that appearances can be deceiving.
What impressed me most about the film were the performances of several of the cast members who have been attacked by critics for their previous outings. Hayden Christensen (best known as Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars Episodes II and III), Orlando Bloom (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Lord of the Rings), and Shia LaBeouf (Transformers, Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) all show that they can act when not supported by giant robots, lightsabers and Megan Fox.
All that said, not all of the stories are winners, but that is to be expected. A film like this is like a buffet. Some portions you'll really like and some will do nothing for you. But overall, watching it will make for an enjoyable experience.
So if you don't require your movies to be in 3-D, and to be filled with explosions, and are just looking for something with interesting characters and dialogue, New York, I Love You is for you. Check it out at London's Hyland Cinema.
Recently, the film Valentine's Day opened up in theatres. Thanks to a cast of A-listers and a lot of advertising force behind it, the romantic film has become a box office hit.
However, another collection of love stories is also being released, and it boasts an equally impressive cast. Opening Friday, February 19 at London's Hyland Cinema, New York, I Love You is a highly entertaining anthology of stories dealing with love (or in some cases lust), all taking place in New York.
Bradley Cooper, Natalie Portman, Shia LaBeouf, Orlando Bloom, Hayden Christensen, Christina Ricci, Rachel Bilson, Blake Lively, Chris Cooper, Ethan Hawke, Andy Garcia and James Caan are just some of the big names who grace the screen in New York, I Love You.
The film features 11 short films, each approximately eight minutes long. Directors were limited to no more than two days of filming, and were only allowed a week of editing time. Some of the stories are sad, some are touching, and some are very funny.
The highlight of the film for me was the vignette directed by Brett Ratner. The director of the Rush Hour series and X-Men: The Last Stand is behind the camera for the film's most lighthearted moment. James Caan plays a pharmacist who takes pity on a young man whose girlfriend has abandoned him before prom. So he sets him up on a replacement date with his daughter. What he neglects to tell the young man is that she is confined to a wheelchair. What starts off as an awkward evening turns into an enjoyable night for the two youngsters, all leading to an ending that truly surprised me.
Another portion that I really liked takes place outside a restaurant. Ethan Hawke (Training Day, Gattaca) and Maggie Q (Mission Impossible III, Live Free or Die Hard) play two strangers who share an intimate moment while smoking. At least that's the way Hawke's character sees it. The viewer is led to believe that she is uncomfortable with his at times quite vulgar dialogue. However, yet another surprise ending shows that appearances can be deceiving.
What impressed me most about the film were the performances of several of the cast members who have been attacked by critics for their previous outings. Hayden Christensen (best known as Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars Episodes II and III), Orlando Bloom (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Lord of the Rings), and Shia LaBeouf (Transformers, Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) all show that they can act when not supported by giant robots, lightsabers and Megan Fox.
All that said, not all of the stories are winners, but that is to be expected. A film like this is like a buffet. Some portions you'll really like and some will do nothing for you. But overall, watching it will make for an enjoyable experience.
So if you don't require your movies to be in 3-D, and to be filled with explosions, and are just looking for something with interesting characters and dialogue, New York, I Love You is for you. Check it out at London's Hyland Cinema.
