Rated R

Directed by & written by Julie Delpy

Starring Julie Delpy and Adam Goldberg

Heidi’s Illustrious Rating: 2

Word of Warning: There are subtitles and it is a self-absorbed snorer.

What happens when an actor decides she can write and direct? Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

Julie Delpy has been acting since she was five. She’s blond, beautiful and French. She has starred in some great films – well, one that I can recall - ”Europa, Europa.” She also starred in the movies “Before Sunrise” (1995) and “Before Sunset” (2004) popular with the artsy/writer set in colleges across the country. Delpy was involved in the writing of both screenplays.

Now Delpy has attempted to do it all as director, writer and actress in “2 Days in Paris.” I personally think this attempt failed miserably, but to be fair it did earn a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature.

Marion (Delpy) and Jack (Goldberg) are a couple from New York who are spending two days with Marion’s parents in Paris. The only funny scenes in the movie involve Jack’s interactions with Marion’s Parisian parents. Otherwise, this so-called “comedy” isn’t very amusing. The two main characters are not likeable. Jack is a hypochondriac interior designer with a bad attitude and Marion is a self-absorbed photographer who seems to have slept with half of Paris. I couldn’t relate to or care about either character.

This is a highly dialogue driven movie, but the dialogue is neither inspired nor entertaining. The relationship between Marion and Jack is barely tolerable. Delpy just isn’t a great actress and sometime it seemed she was struggling with her lines, not just her English. I’m guessing Delpy and Goldberg may have adlibbed some of the dialogue because at times it seems too rough.

There may have been a lot of hidden meanings. but I either didn’t catch on or they were too obscure for me to grasp. I was very, very tired when I watched the movie, which may have resulted in a bit of apathy for the deeper themes that may or may not have been occurring in the film.

I’d opted for ”Before Sunrise” again and again, rather than be subjected to one more viewing of ”2 Days in Paris.”