I don't get to sit down and watch a full movie very often.. but every now and then miracles happen, and now I'm writing about it! At the very least, it's good practice for me.. ;D
And over there to the right are Chris Rock fans circa 1990s ... running the other direction.
Plot:
Both divorced and with a kid from their previous crash-and-burn marriages, Chris Rock and Julie Delpy are Mingus and Marion, your typical career driven, modern couple of New York City. Their lives are simple and they are happy in their longterm, committed, but not quite yet permanent relationship. Until that is Marion's widower Father and child psychologist sister come from France to visit for her upcoming, gallery showing. Queue the language barriers and a look at relationships between parents and children, lovers, siblings, ex's, and strangers, all set in sometimes confusing backdrop of The Big Apple. In the special features, Chris Rock puts it quite eloquently, "..this is the closest I'll get to being in a Woody Allen film." Yeah. Well, except minus the sex with minors.
Rating:
R - which seems silly to me since it's basically just a lot of sex talk.. but it's probably a good thing that I don't have any say in movie ratings.
Why I grabbed it:
Honestly the real reason I grabbed it is because of my recent visit to New York City. I tend to enjoy Chris Rock's performances, and while I am not a fan of "Romance" movies, I figured at least I might get a couple laughs and get to revisit some of the beautiful parts of the city that stole my heart not even a month ago. And considering that the crew I ran with while out there was made up of skinny black guys and sexy European women, this fit my New York experience too well to not watch.
Pluses:
New York City, a non-english speaking and very jovial father, Chris Rock, and hot, exhibitionist French girl tittays.
Minuses:
Relationship movies... I just don't really get into them. And Julie Delpy narrates. It's her movie and she can do what she wants of course, but as much as I enjoy her Frenchly-accented voice it's rare I find narration enjoyable and/or necessary. Oh, also, her character's son's name is "LuLu," and since he's two with beautiful golden curls to his shoulders, it took me half the movie to figure out whether or not he was in fact a boy. French people. Oh, also, some reading is required. That's not a minus to me personally, but most people I know hate having to work to be entertained. Americans.
Character you Love to Hate:
The surprise visitor! Marion's ex-boyfriend turned sister's kinda boyfriend: Manu (played by Alex Nahon). He's sleazy, lazy, and a womanizer. He clips his toenails at the breakfast table and invites drug dealers back to the apartment during dinner time. Everything out of his mouth is inappropriate and often racist as well. Not in like a mean way though. More of an over-generalizing, every black guy is cool and all black women look like Beyonce, kind of way. Basically, he's very French.
Character you Love to Love:
While Marion's sister Rose (Alexia Landeau) is obviously mad and is often the cause of many arguments and uncomfortable situations.. who doesn't love a sexy french gal running around naked? In addition to role of "Antagonist," Rose also fills in nicely as the film's "Eye Candy."
Favorite Cameo:
Vincent Gallo playing his overly confident, eccentric, and soul-eating (literally) self for a fight scene in a coffee shop on Halloween.
Favorite Line:
"..you're a shrink for kids! .... That is so scary! Sick!"
Would I watch again?
Nah.
Ways it could be improved:
Wine. And more French boobies.
JNT review:
As I mentioned, this type of movie isn't really my thing. It's listed on IMDB as a "Comedy" .. but the word "Romantic" is implied in there. Each character is just a bit too over the top, and the ultimate message is about handling the crazy relationships in each of our lives. I did enjoy it though, if for the wrong reasons haha, and if this is a genre you're into then I would definitely recommend it. Plus, Chris Rock's essentially improved monologues to his life-size cut out of Obama about his crazy French girlfriend and her family are pretty funny.
Both divorced and with a kid from their previous crash-and-burn marriages, Chris Rock and Julie Delpy are Mingus and Marion, your typical career driven, modern couple of New York City. Their lives are simple and they are happy in their longterm, committed, but not quite yet permanent relationship. Until that is Marion's widower Father and child psychologist sister come from France to visit for her upcoming, gallery showing. Queue the language barriers and a look at relationships between parents and children, lovers, siblings, ex's, and strangers, all set in sometimes confusing backdrop of The Big Apple. In the special features, Chris Rock puts it quite eloquently, "..this is the closest I'll get to being in a Woody Allen film." Yeah. Well, except minus the sex with minors.
Rating:
R - which seems silly to me since it's basically just a lot of sex talk.. but it's probably a good thing that I don't have any say in movie ratings.
Why I grabbed it:
Honestly the real reason I grabbed it is because of my recent visit to New York City. I tend to enjoy Chris Rock's performances, and while I am not a fan of "Romance" movies, I figured at least I might get a couple laughs and get to revisit some of the beautiful parts of the city that stole my heart not even a month ago. And considering that the crew I ran with while out there was made up of skinny black guys and sexy European women, this fit my New York experience too well to not watch.
Pluses:
New York City, a non-english speaking and very jovial father, Chris Rock, and hot, exhibitionist French girl tittays.
Minuses:
Relationship movies... I just don't really get into them. And Julie Delpy narrates. It's her movie and she can do what she wants of course, but as much as I enjoy her Frenchly-accented voice it's rare I find narration enjoyable and/or necessary. Oh, also, her character's son's name is "LuLu," and since he's two with beautiful golden curls to his shoulders, it took me half the movie to figure out whether or not he was in fact a boy. French people. Oh, also, some reading is required. That's not a minus to me personally, but most people I know hate having to work to be entertained. Americans.
Character you Love to Hate:
The surprise visitor! Marion's ex-boyfriend turned sister's kinda boyfriend: Manu (played by Alex Nahon). He's sleazy, lazy, and a womanizer. He clips his toenails at the breakfast table and invites drug dealers back to the apartment during dinner time. Everything out of his mouth is inappropriate and often racist as well. Not in like a mean way though. More of an over-generalizing, every black guy is cool and all black women look like Beyonce, kind of way. Basically, he's very French.
Character you Love to Love:
While Marion's sister Rose (Alexia Landeau) is obviously mad and is often the cause of many arguments and uncomfortable situations.. who doesn't love a sexy french gal running around naked? In addition to role of "Antagonist," Rose also fills in nicely as the film's "Eye Candy."
Favorite Cameo:
Vincent Gallo playing his overly confident, eccentric, and soul-eating (literally) self for a fight scene in a coffee shop on Halloween.
Favorite Line:
"..you're a shrink for kids! .... That is so scary! Sick!"
Would I watch again?
Nah.
Ways it could be improved:
Wine. And more French boobies.
JNT review:
As I mentioned, this type of movie isn't really my thing. It's listed on IMDB as a "Comedy" .. but the word "Romantic" is implied in there. Each character is just a bit too over the top, and the ultimate message is about handling the crazy relationships in each of our lives. I did enjoy it though, if for the wrong reasons haha, and if this is a genre you're into then I would definitely recommend it. Plus, Chris Rock's essentially improved monologues to his life-size cut out of Obama about his crazy French girlfriend and her family are pretty funny.
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