ART & CULTURE CITIES OF LOVE In these trying times, where our ability to each director can stamp their own trade- connect with one another has been hin- “Often these films simply marks. The format doesn’t just allow artists dered, where we have been barred from to tell their own little personal stories, but seeing one another’s faces properly, where emphasise how much one creates a sense of vibrancy and multicul- socialisation has become limited to the turalism that would not be present had it occasional Zoom call, and where the future person we meet only all been one person’s vision. The franchise seems more and more uncertain, it is briefly can make a big has real love for its subject and characters, important to celebrate our deeply human it encourages compendium filmmaking instinct to reach out to one another and impact on our lives.” and is determined to uphold the view that form bonds of the utmost beauty. A little- we shouldn’t be put off by barriers of lan- known film franchise from French pro- guage or different countries of origin. The ducer Emmanuel Benbihy committed itself films have so far moved to New York, Rio to this very goal, reminding us that no de Janeiro and Berlin. Shanghai and matter what language we speak, we all Jerusalem are next. share in the same spirit, in the same desire Paris Je t’aime is the most critically ac- to connect with one another. claimed of the bunch, and understandably I first encountered the Cities of Love so. What makes it particularly impressive franchise a few years ago when I fell in love is the fact that it didn’t come across as a with a little film called Paris Je t’aime, a rambling mess, which it easily could have series of 18 beautiful short films set in dif- done. You have 22 directors each telling a ferent arrondissements in Paris. The line- different story with only two things in up of directors and writers is nothing short common: the city in which it is set and the of astonishing, including but not limited theme of love. And yes, the film is slightly to Alexander Payne (The Descendants), Tom uneven but since there are 18 stories it is Tykwer (Run Lola Run), Gus Van Sant unlikely you will not enjoy any of them. (Good Will Hunting), Alfonso Cuarón The City of Light has rarely looked more (Gravity and Children of Men) and the beautiful, and some of the short films Coen Brothers (No Country for Old Men would be worth buying simply on their and Fargo). Such talent can only be as- own merit. The funniest one comes from sembled behind the camera in a format of the Coen Brothers, starring the always this kind, a series of shorts upon which wonderful Steve Buscemi, who breaks the 26 FOCUS The Magazine March/April 2021 www.focus-info.org ART & CULTURE “The franchise has real love for its subject and characters, it encourages compendium filmmaking and is determined to uphold the view that we shouldn’t be put off by barriers of language or different countries of origin.” cardinal rule of avoiding eye contact on in love with me”. The writers’ and direc- the Paris Metro. Alfonso Cuarón’s con- tors’ share a desire to create a refreshingly tribution couldn’t really be the work of any honest depiction of what it feels like to fall ©Rio, I love you other filmmaker, being composed of one in love, something that has obsessed artists long take, something that has become a since the beginning of time, and yes is hallmark of his. This creates a searing sense rarely depicted well on screen. of intimacy and instils the work with a Bradley Cooper, Natalie Portman, Ethan mercurial quality that has been lost in Hawke, John Hurt, Chris Cooper, Robin some of his more special effects driven Wright and Orlando Bloom – this is just films. But that intimacy is a testament to some of the cast that was assembled for what this film is trying to do, which is New York, I Love You. While less well-re- imitate life. For all this franchise’s messages ceived than its predecessor, it is still an im- about connection across continents, it is a pressive piece of work featuring much to very human film, and is not larger than recommend. The directing talent here life in any way. At the end of the film, aren’t as well-pedigreed as the previous lot, everyone is at the same point as they were but each brings his own unique take on at the start. Perhaps the greatest example the titular city to the film. There is a great of this is the last short film, directed by assortment of colourful characters here, Alexander Payne, which ends on a start- and one of the few things that New York, I lingly wistful mixture of both melancholia Love You does better than its Parisian and inspirational hope: “All I can say is counterpart is really emphasise the multi- that I felt, at the same time, joy and sad- culturalism of the city. It is by far the film’s ness. But not too much sadness, because I greatest asset, and properly hits home the felt alive. Yes, alive. That was the moment most important message of this franchise: I fell in love with Paris. And I felt Paris fall we are all people, and we are all capable of ©Paris, Je t’aime Natalie Portman, Melchior Beslon www.focus-info.org FOCUS The Magazine 27 ART & CULTURE © New York, I love you © Berlin, I love you Eva Amurri and Justin Bartha Keira Knightley falling in love in the same way. There is Wrestler that makes real use of his talents. one segment with very little dialogue, set Rio, Eu Te Amo makes the correct decision in Chinatown, involving a painter becom- to hire many directors from the country ing fixated on portraying a woman who itself, allowing for a wide breadth of tales works in a herbal tea shop, and another that feel true to the city, and cross many about a Hasidic woman confiding in an cultural and class barriers in the process. Indian diamond merchant. The actors do a Perhaps the most unfortunate thing to great job of creating portraits of characters happen to either of these works is the with very little time, which is down to the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s segment being hard work of the directors, who only had cut from the Berlin film, supposedly due around two days to shooting their films. to pressure from Chinese investors, repre- What we get in New York, I Love you is still senting yet another worrying example of a unified love letter to its city, and all the China’s continuing influence over Western pickpockets, lovers, dreamers and con- films. Neither of these films are as special spirators who live there. It is a little too as the previous two, but there are certainly scared to be as rueful as Paris, but I love stories in both that are worth watching New York, and the Big Apple looks vibrant and worth recommending. and beautiful, as do the people who in- The Cities of Love franchise is more than habit it. just a film series, it is a movement that Rio, Eu Te Amo and Berlin, I Love You hopes to unite people across the globe, and have both been released more recently. you’d be doing yourself a disservice to ig- Neither are as good as the previous two, nore its message. These films aren’t afraid but have been somewhat unfairly ma- to tell stories about the seemingly insig- ligned by critics. These films, after all, are nificant. They are frequently just slices of anthologies, and if you are not enjoying life that we are dropped into. We aren’t one, all you have to do is wait. Berlin, I spoon fed people’s backstories, and our Love You does often veer dangerously close senses aren’t assaulted with explosions and to depicting what a dreamy tourist might transforming robots. Often these films imagine the city to be like, feeling rather simply emphasise how much one person detached from reality, but even this is only we meet only briefly can make a big im- true for a small number of the stories, and pact on our lives. We naturally seek a con- George Hunt-Davis studied History of reliable actors like Keira Knightley, Diego nection with one another no matter what Art at the Courtauld Institute in the heart Luna and Jim Sturgess all turn in moving our race, class, gender or origin. Our fu- of London. He is now attempting to find performances. There is also an extremely ture, despite what is currently happening some kind of peace during a weird time in misjudged storyline starring Mickey worldwide, is urban, and we should all the world, mainly through writing and Rourke that feels absolutely bizarre and show love for our cities and the people playing the piano. Furloughed, he is out of place, and is a shame for Rourke who live in them. The vibrant energy and hoping that soon the world will start since I have been hoping for a long time sprawling nature of Cities of Love is a good up again so he can do some travelling that he will find another role like The place to start. and find himself in a cheesy, Hollywood type way.