New York, I Love You

Movie Grade: B+

New York, I Love You proves that Manhattan emotion is more than just a tourist t-shirt sentiment. I sometimes judge a movie by how I feel directly after it's over. After watching this film, while walking to my train, I realized something. I didn't want to leave the city. So I got to my train stop"¦and kept walking. And I was walking differently too. I kept looking around at people "” which in Manhattan, let's face it, we rarely do. There was a couple with their arms around each other walking leisurely in front of me, the woman talking hurriedly on her cell phone about what went on at work that day, the family taking pictures excitedly by a fountain. Ten blocks later, I was feeling wistful, yet content about this great city that never sleeps. That's how I knew I liked New York, I Love You.

Those snapshots of life that I saw on my brief walk basically describe what the movie is like: A collection of snapshots "” small vignettes that, while not entirely realistic, represent the certain magical qualities the city can provide. In case you're unfamiliar with the concept, New York, I Love You is the second in a series of films that producer Emmanuel Benbihy calls "Cities of Love." The first was Paris Je T'aime, and they're planning four more after this one. Benbihy amasses a collection of diverse directors, writers and actors to bring the storytelling to life. Each segment was shot over just two days. There are 11 segments in total that run about 8 minutes long each. I always enjoy when a movie messes with structure, so this was a welcome change of pace.

I viewed each of the segments as a mini-fairytale. They all contained a twist of some kind "” something out of the ordinary. There's a lot to dissect here, what with nearly half of Hollywood appearing in the film and all. So instead of mentioning everything, I'll focus on the vignettes I thought were the most and least successful. (The plain ol' mediocre ones you can figure out by process of elimination.)

The segment directed by Allen Hughes was one of my favorites. It features Drea de Matteo and Bradley Cooper as a couple on their way to meet up with each other again after what they thought was a one-night stand. Most of the dialogue takes place in their heads, as they make their separate journeys toward one another. It perfectly captures the swirling thoughts of apprehension, uncertainty and vulnerability that two people dare not say out loud.

Another great vignette plays out under the direction of Yvan Attal and stars Chris Cooper and Robin Wright Penn as two people encountering each other outside of a restaurant who end up having a surprising connection. The final

piece of the film, directed by Joshua Marston, ventures outside Manhattan to Brighton Beach with an elderly married couple played by Eli Wallach and Cloris Leachman. They bicker, they nag, and the absolutely love each other. I'm a sucker for old married couples, so this was easily the most moving piece of the film for me.

It's also worth mentioning that Natalie Portman makes her mark in this film three times. In a Mira Nair-directed segment, she plays a Hassidic Jew whose business with a Jain diamond dealer (played by the always welcome Irrfan Khan) leads to an unexpected moment of understanding between to two seemingly opposite people. She also wrote and directed a segment of her own "” a sweet story about a little girl and her "male nanny." Portman proves adept behind the camera, as well as in front.

Not quite as adept was Brett Ratner's silly Central Park prom tale featuring Anton Yelchin and a wheelchair-bound Olivia Thirlby. And the surreal story directed by Shekhar Kapur and written by the late Anthony Minghella simply feels out of place. Julie Christie plays an aging singer who encounters a disabled bellhop (Shia LaBeouf trying his hardest with a thick accent and a limp) at her Upper East Side hotel. It was too heavy and too abstract, and felt like it belonged in a different movie entirely.

Admittedly, the portrait of love this film paints is not an accurate one. While certain parts explore diversity in the Manhattan melting pot, the film somehow manages to omit African-Americans and gays. It's pretty glaring, if you ask me.

But if you can look past the missteps, you may find that "” like me "” you'll feel inspired to look at the city a little differently, and maybe search for a little magic of your own. As clichéd as it sounds, this movie was able to reaffirm to me what I already knew: plain and simple, I love New York.

Movie Grade: B+

Synopsis:

In the city that never sleeps, love is always on the mind. Those passions come to life in NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU – a collaboration of storytelling from some of today’s most imaginative filmmakers and featuring an all-star cast. Together they create a kaleidoscope of the spontaneous, surprising, electrifying human connections that pump the city’s heartbeat. Sexy, funny, haunting and revealing encounters unfold beneath the Manhattan skyline. From Tribeca to Central Park to Brooklyn, the story weaves a tale of love as diverse as the very fabric of New York itself.