Julie Delpy2 DAYS IN NEW YORK

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Picking up a few years down the line from where 2 Days in Paris left off, 2 Days in New York sees Julie Delpy’s Marion shacked up with new fella Mingus (Chris Rock). Her hypochondriac ex, Jack, is unsurprisingly well out of the picture, and Mingus, a radio DJ, seems like an all-round nice guy. Already, we’re in alien territory. While 2 Days in Paris was shimmied along by the antagonism between its two neurotic leads, 2 Days in New York takes a far more chilled-out approach. How long this lasts, though, is another story…

Words and design Avalon Lyndon

Mingus and Marion are living a relatively idyllic existence in a spacious New York pad with their two cute kiddiwinks from separate marriages. But it’s all a bit too cosy. The arrival of Marion’s French relatives is about to shake things up beyond all recognition. Enter the bumbling glutton father Jeannot (Albert Delpy), the nymphomaniac sister Rose (Alexia Landeau) and Marion’s slimy ex Manu (Alexandre Nahon). The damage they wreak is so profound that you’re almost waiting for that moment when Morgan Freeman will materialise at a presidential podium to make a rousing speech. Poor Mingus is pushed to the outer reaches of his sanity as their relationship is put to the ultimate test. In terms of gags, there’s not a whole lot of fresh material on offer, but that’s not necessarily a terrible thing. You’ve got to admire Delpy’s ability to laugh at herself and her own country; 2 Days in New York again rolls out all those well-trodden cultural stereotypes that paint the French as pretentious croissant-munching sex-pests.

“Gone is the sniping neurosis of 2 Days in Paris.In its place is an everyman at the end of his tether.”

“Gone is the sniping neurosis of 2 Days in Paris.In its place is an everyman at the end of his tether.”

You can expect some pretty obvious but perfectly observed culture clashes, whether it’s Rose refusing to wear a bra to a yoga class or Manu dropping a few clangers as he talks about America’s first black president. Conversations conducted almost entirely in mime over a dinner table are always good material, and some of the

film’s best jokes come out of these moments of miscomprehension. What’s remarkably different from the previous film is its tone. Gone is the sniping neurosis of 2 Days in Paris. In its place is an everyman at the end of his tether. Delpy’s latest seems more American-friendly, more accessible and less hipster-happy than its predecessor.

have grated on people. Whether the second film benefits from this tonal upheaval will be a matter of opinion. There is still a family resemblance between the two films; 2 Days in New York is like its predecessor’s cheeky little brother. The occasional plinky-plonky musical interludes and super-fast photo slideshows are back in full

Meanwhile, its characters have been shifted up a gear; Marion’s family have almost become caricatures of themselves and the erudite slimeball Manu of 2 Days in Paris has morphed into a try-hard wannabe gangster. While I personally enjoyed the strained dynamic between the sneering ex Jack and feckless Marion, it’s not hard to imagine how it might

force, and the snappy dialogue moves at 100 miles an hour. And again, there are solid performances from all involved. Even those at the sidelines bring their A-game: Dylan Baker plays another brilliant watery-eyed pervert reminiscent of his role in Happiness and Vincent Gallo’s reptilian face makes for a suitably demonic cameo. Ultimately, 2 Days in New York may well divide audiences. It lacks that acerbic, sour edge that made 2 Days in Paris such an welcome departure from the preachy walk-fests of Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. Maybe Delpy is pandering to the American market, or perhaps she’s simply feeling a little bit more optimistic. Either way, it will be interesting to see how fans of the first film will react to this softer, brighter approach. Judging the film on its own merit, however, it is genuinely hilarious with some guaranteed laugh-out-loud moments. One scene saw my friend throw his beer all over himself. What more proof do you need?

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