Guest Post(erous)

Don't See: New York, I Love You

After watching, and liking, two of the world's four "global cities" set the stage for films of similar formula-- compilation of multiple shorts shot by different directors highlighting personal interaction within a large metropolis-- I thought this third, global city, film, with New York City as the backdrop, was going to as interesting.  I had high hopes since the story is told stateside in, arguably, the world's greatest city.  Unfortunately, it fell well short of expectations.

To me, the captivating aspect of the other two which were filmed in similar vein, Paris, je t'aime and Tokyo!, was in the direction.  Whether it's Coen, Van Sant, and Craven in Paris or Gondry and Carax in Tokyo, watching contrasting styles within the same film made those films much more interesting. I didn't get that feel from New York.  One of the shorts that could have added diversity and contrast to the overall production-- the directorial debut of  Scarlett Johansson, shot in black and white-- didn't make the final cut.  Not all aspects of this film were bad, though.  There were some very fine performances from Ethan Hawke, Robin Wright Penn, and Cloris Leachman.

If someone decides to produce this niche genre for the fourth global city, London, I hope that he or she will tap contrasting directors that will make the story interesting.  How about Kevin Smith, Sam Raimi, and Peter Jackson?  It could happen...