Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
18 shorts about love for mature art house fans.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Paris, Je T'Aime
What's the Story?
Eighteen five-minute shorts come together in PARIS JE T'AIME, all by different directors, each representing (and named after) a different part of Paris, and each with love at its center -- somewhere. In "Quais de Seine" (Gurinder Chadha) a romantic love blooms as a Muslim girl and a white Parisian teen connect. In "Place des Victoires" (Nobuhiro Suwa) it's more about love and loss as a mother (Juliette Binoche) tries to go on after her son's death. In "Place des Fetes" (Oliver Schmitz) there's love that could have been when a paramedic watches a stab victim die after remembering that he was the same man who invited her to coffee that morning. The shorts end with "14e arrondissement" (Alexander Payne) where a rather homely American tourist suddenly understands what it is to fall in love with Paris.
Is It Any Good?
So many great directors, so little time for each. It's almost better, though, because if someone gets a little outlandish or even too heavy you only have to sit through the short for five minutes before you're hit with something that'll probably grab you. Mature teens will gravitate toward the simple, sweet multicultural romance in "Quais de Seine" (Gurinder Chadha). Moms everywhere will feel for the Spanish nanny in "Loin du 16e" (Walter Salles) who leaves her young child for long days to nanny for another. Wes Craven surprises in "Pere-Lachaise" by setting his short in a graveyard without any gore whatsoever (the ghost of Oscar Wilde is dashing, not dashing out anyone's brains with a sledgehammer).
Last and best, Alexander Payne channels the spirit of all American tourists through the eyes of a single, overweight postal worker. And best of all for the oft maligned American in Paris, he makes the French sit through her horrendous accent AND feel for her at the same time. Touche.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Paris from all the perspectives shown here. Which short is your favorite? Which ones didn't grab you?
How did each short have to do with love? Was it harder to find this theme in some?
Which shorts dealt with the topic of diversity? How often do you think these Parisians are represented on film?
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 26, 2007
- On DVD or streaming : November 13, 2007
- Cast : Juliette Binoche , Maggie Gyllenhaal , Natalie Portman
- Directors : Alexander Payne , Alfonso Cuaron , Gus Van Sant , Joel Coen , Wes Craven
- Inclusion Information : Latino Movie Director(s) , Gay Movie Director(s) , Queer Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : First Look Pictures
- Genre : Romance
- Run time : 120 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 20, 2019
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