Julie Delpy on fire in 2 Days in New York

by Fabien Lemercier

28/03/2012 - An unusual character in French cinema, Julie Delpy continues to forge ahead in a new chaotic and cultural family comedy with a cerebral twist, 2 Days in New York [trailer], unveiled at Sundance, already sold worldwide, and released today by Rezo Films in 186 French cinemas. A sequel to 2 Days in Paris [trailer, film focus] (285,000 admissions in France in 2007), the feature has been well-reviewed worldwide thanks to its libetarian humour inspired by American burlesque, Woody Allen hovering in the background.

In this Franco-Belgian-German co-production, Marion (Julie Delpy) tries to keep her New-York life with journalist Mingus (Chris Rock) together, after the dreadful French trio of her father (Albert Delpy), sister (Alexia Landeau), and ex-boyfriend (Alex Nahon) turn up to visit. It all makes for a fast-paced cocktail of hysteria and off-the-wall madness, in a satire of people’s prejudices on either side of the Atlantic and their misunderstandings.

The many other European co-productions released this Wednesday include the gripping Land of Oblivion [trailer] by Michale Boganim (article – Le Pacte on 51 copies), a film discovered in Venice about the Tchernobyl disaster. Also in cinemas are the futuristic romantic comedy Perfect Sense [trailer] by David MacKenzie (co-produced by the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, and Denmark with Ewan McGregor and Eva Green – distribution Pretty Pictures in 25 cinemas), Belgo-French film Rondo [trailer] by Olivier Van Malderghem (watch the interview – Eurozoom), German-Belgian feature Marieke [trailer] by Sophie Schoukens (KMBO on 4 copies), Spanish-Uruguayan co-productionA Useful Life [trailer] by Federico Veiroj (A3 Distribution on 18 copies), and American-British animation blockbuster The Pirates! Band of Misfits [trailer] by Peter Lord (Sony Pictures Releasing in 636 cinemas).

And then there is Vol spécial [trailer] (lit. “Special flight”) by Fernand Melgar (interview - Dissidenz Distribution on 10 copies), the fascinationg Swiss documentary that provoked debate in Locarno, Week-end [trailer] by promising British filmmaker Andrew Haigh (Outplay on 30 copies), the comedy Mince alors! by French director Charlotte De Turckheim (UGC Distribution in 439 cinemas) and the documentary Au prochain printemps (lit. “Next spring”) by her fellow-countryman Luc Leclerc du Sablon (NiZ !).

(Translated from French)