A real relationship can be real work, but they're usually worth the effort, and negotiating through the conflicts can make a couple stronger ... even if one of them comes with some quirky and unusual family members.

Positive Role Models & Representations

Marion and Mingus are flawed but mostly behave like adults as they try to deal with some of the conflicts that arise -- between each other, with neighbors, and with her demanding family members. They try to show respect for each other as they seek common ground in a film that presents a very realistic portrait of a relationship. A little potentially offensive racial-stereotype humor from the no-boundaries French relatives.

Violence

Some intense bickering and one minor scrap as a woman tries to grab a document from a man and they end up wrestling on the floor.

Sex

Several graphic discussions about sex, and a few scenes feature a couple who appear to be fooling around under the covers. One woman walks around half-dressed, with brief glimpses of her breast and butt. A married couple flirts and talks about why they can't have sex with an apartment full of guests. A running joke pairs Mingus' name with a term for oral sex.

Language

Plenty of swearing, including "f--k," "s--t," "bulls--t," "motherf----r," "d--k," "ass," "bitch," and more.

Consumerism

Many stores are visible in the background of scenes shot on location in New York City.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Several scenes show people drinking at dinner and at parties -- and sometimes smoking cigarettes as well. Some characters smoke pot in a few scenes, and a man completes a drug deal in front of a young girl. She later emulates what she witnessed by trying to sell real grass, picked in the park, to a classmate.

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that 2 Days in New York is the follow-up to 2 Days in Paris, both directed by and starring Julie Delpy. It follows the same basic formula as the original, focusing on a couple forced to address issues in their relationship while surrounded by her very French (and very outrageous) family. There are some scenes with bickering and fairly graphic sexual banter (including a running joke that references oral sex), adult characters drink and smoke pot, and there's plenty of swearing ("f--k," "s--t," etc.). The real drama comes from watching Delpy's character and her live-in boyfriend, played by Chris Rock, navigate the rocky shoals of a real relationship, which may not be especially relatable to young people who've had few of their own.

User Reviews

Parents say
Kids say

Parent Written byDogs1995 August 15, 2012

age 16+

Innapropiate

It's ok and innapropiate

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Teen, 15 years old Written byRedsox1995 August 15, 2012

age 16+

Boring and unfunny

Terrible nobody should watch this

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Teen, 17 years old Written byWwerobert1995 August 15, 2012

age 17+

So not go see this please

Terrible waste of time

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What's the story?

Marion (Julie Delpy) and Mingus (Chris Rock) live in New York with her son and his daughter from previous relationships and are bracing for a visit from her wacky family from Paris. And -- surprise! -- Marion's dad and her passive-aggressive sister have decided to bring a pal, the sister's current (and Marion's former) boyfriend. There are family issues, language barriers, cultural conflict, and more sources of strife, all squeezed into a small Manhattan apartment. Over 2 DAYS IN NEW YORK, Marion bickers and makes up -- and then fights some more -- with her sister, her ex, her neighbors, and mostly with Mingus. Will their relationship survive the visit?

Is it any good?

Taken on its own, 2 DAYS IN NEW YORK is witty and charming, with a frenetic Delpy at its center and a series of snafus unfurling at a laugh-a-minute speed. But it pales when evaluated as a sequel to 2 Days in Paris, the 2007 film also directed by and starring Delpy. The two movies share the same plot, with a long-term couple forced to reconsider their relationship after interactions with family push them both to do and say things they regret.

But while Paris was fresh and original, New York feels like a grainier facsimile with less credible characters. Marion's dad, who was zany before, now has his foibles cranked up beyond believability. And though hot-headed Marion picks fights in both films, in the first one, her issues seemed fairly legitimate; here it sometimes seems as if she flies off the handle for sport. Getting to know Marion and Mingus as a couple is interesting, but not quite as fun or incisive as it was getting to know Marion and Jack (Adam Goldberg).

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about Marion and Mingus. Do you think they're a good fit for each other? Do they seem like realistic people? What do you think about the way they resolve issues?
How does 2 Days in New York compare with its predecessor, 2 Days in Paris? Do they seem similar to Delpy's other well-known set of films, Before Sunrise and Before Sunset?
Do you think the movie presents a realistic view of love and relationships? Teens: What do you expect falling in love (and being together long-term) to be like? How do movies usually portray that?

Movie details

In theaters: August 10, 2012
On DVD or streaming: November 13, 2012
Cast: Chris Rock, Julie Delpy
Director: Julie Delpy
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 95 minutes
MPAA rating: R
MPAA explanation: language, sexual content, some drug use and brief nudity

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2 Days in New York

Common Sense says

Parents say