Sorry “New York, I Love You,” not everyone will fall head over heels for you. The film interlocks a series of shorts from 11 directors – all based in The Big Apple.
Of course, a vignette set in New York City has only one place to start off: a yellow taxicab. “Hangover” buddies Bradley Cooper and Justin Bartha kick off the movie by playing strangers who land the same cab. But aside from the yellow car, a few distinct restaurants and references to Central Park, “New York, I Love” seems like it could take place in any other metropolis. It fails to show what makes New York one of the most visited cities in the world.
To be fair, each director had only two days to shoot their short film and a week to edit each segment. But you would think that a diverse group of directors from around the world (including Yvan Attal from France, Jiang Wen from China, Shekhar Kapur and others) would paint a multicultural picture of New York –which is not the case. That being said, at least there’s an abundance of love in this movie, ranging from platonic love to parental.
There are definitely worthwhile moments as well as both acting and directing revelations in “New York, I Love You.” Natalie Portman, for example, takes both a behind the camera role and an on-screen one (playing a Hasidic diamond broker). The short she directs, featuring Taylor Geare (who plays Portman’s daughter in the upcoming movie “Brothers”), is a highlight of the movie. Also keep an eye out for Anton Yelchin who had a supporting role in this year’s revamped “Star Trek.” He proves in this movie that he could very well give both Michael Cera and Jesse Eisenberg a run for their money.
“New York, I Love You” brings together a mishmash of young Hollywood stars including Blake Lively, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Bilson, Christina Ricci, Hayden Christensen, Olivia Thirlby and Shia LaBeouf in what seems to be an attempt at attracting a younger crowd to see the film. However, it fails to have that “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” vibe.
Produced by the same people who brought you “Paris, je t’aime,” this movie is the second film in the Cities of Love franchise. The next stop will be Shanghai, followed by Rio de Janeiro and Jerusalem.
While you may not love “New York, I Love You” there’s bound to be parts you’ll enjoy.
