This delightful though entirely haphazard affair marks Julie Delpy’s debut as a writer-director, so we shouldn’t be too surprised when the film, like Before Sunrise, opens on a train. Delpy and Goldberg, however, make for a rather more robust couple than she and Hawke once were. Their two-day stop off in her native Paris is defined by bickering and knockabout comedy rather than tender romance.
Ms. Delpy’s parents, appearing as themselves, are too overbearing and, well, French for Mr. Goldberg’s tastes. Nonetheless, he’s stuck with them and a seemingly endless parade of his girlfriend’s former lovers. To add insult to injury, there are the usual problems one encounters in France – the condoms are too small, the catacombs are closed and the unholy spectacle of American tourists sporting Bush/Cheney t-shirts.
At times, the screenplay is lazy, papering over dramatic scenes with voiceover. At other times, the tone is unsteady, veering wildly between farce and seriousness. You can see they’re going for Woody Allen and Diane Keaton, though it doesn’t quite come off. No matter. There’s enough charm and fun to compensate. Just about.