Paris, Je T'Aime

(aka 'Paris, I Love You')

Directed by Olivier Assayas, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Isabel Coixet, Wes Craven, Alfonso Cuarón, Christopher Doyle, Tom Tykwer, Gus Van Sant and others
France / Liechtenstein 2006

Paris, je t'aime is about the plurality of cinema in one mythic location: Paris, the City of Love. Twenty filmmakers will bring their own personal touch, underlining the wide variety of styles, genres, encounters and the various atmospheres and lifestyles that prevail in the neighborhoods of Paris. Each director has been given five minutes of freedom, and we, as producers, carry the responsibility of weaving a single narrative unit out of those twenty moments. The 20 films will not appear in the order of the arrondissements, from one to twenty, but rather, in a pertinent narrative order, initially unknown to the audience. They will be fused together by transitional interstitial sequences, and also via the introduction and epilogue sequences of the feature film. Each transition will begin with the last shot of the previous film and will end with the first shot of the following film, and will have a threefold function: 1) The first is to extend the enchantment and the emotion of the previous segment, 2) The second is to prepare the audience for the surprise of the next segment, and 3) The third is to provide a general, comfortable and cohesive atmosphere to the feature film. The delightful and brief interludes of these transitions will enable the viewer to slide from one world to the next, featuring a recurring and unexpected character. This mysterious character is a witness to the Parisian life and helps create a continuous narration. It appears both in and in-between the films. In addition to the information these transitions will provide about the city and its people, their tone will be intentionally light often referring to famous scenes easily attributed to the history of Paris cinema. Similar specifications will be followed by the composer who will supervise the musical fusion between the films and the transitions as he creates the musical score of Paris, je t'aime. Considering the common theme of Paris and Love, the fusion between the films and the transitions, the fast pace of a fluid and complete storytelling, Paris, je t'aime will not be just another "anthology" picture. It will be a unique collective feature film that will constitute a two-hour cinematographic spectacle whose original structure will make for a dramatically different experience for its global audience.

Posters

Theatrical Release: May 18th, 2006 - Cannes

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DVD Review: First Look Pictures (2-disc Limited Collector's Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
	Also available in a single disc edition:
Distribution	First Look Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	2:00:28
Video	1.78:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.76 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Audio	English/French (Dolby Digital 5.1), English/French (DTS) , English/French (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Subtitles	English (CC), Spanish, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: First Look Pictures Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.78:1 Edition Details: • At the Heart of Paris, Je'taime (24:44) • More from First Look 2nd Disc • Short Making of's for all 18 segments (7.5 - 10 minutes each) • Storyboards for Quartier de la Madeleine • Split-screen storyboards for Tour Eiffel • Theatrical trailer DVD Release Date: November 13th, 2007 Keep Case inside a cardboard sleeve Chapters: 20

Comments:

Aside from the First Look DVD being interlaced - everything else is quite good. The feature disc and the bonus disc are both dual-layered - the feature is anamorphic and detail and colors seem quite good. I was anticipating some greater variance in the segments but they all seem about the same (image quality-wise). There are 20 chapters (opening credits, one for each of the 18 segments, and the closing credits). Aside from the combing, I noted no unintentional anomalies although there were perhaps some varied filters utilized. Overall the only complaint is the interlacing - a real black-mark on an otherwise competent film-DVD presentation.

There are 3 audio flavors - English/French (Dolby Digital 5.1), English/French (DTS) , English/French (Dolby Digital 2.0). I listened to the underused DTS of which I had no complaints. There were a few pointed instances of separation.

NOTE: There are forced English subtitles when non-English dialogue is spoken. Close-captioned English subtitles are optional for the entire film.

On disc one (assuming same for the single disc edition) is a 25 minute featurette entitled At the Heart of Paris, Je'taime. It has input from Binoche, Coixet and others bout the genesis of their particular involvements. Nothing ground breaking but interesting. Disc one also offers trailers for some other First Run Features projects. Disc 2 offers an astonishing 'Making off...' sequence for all 18 segments of the feature. These range from about 7 1/2 to 10 minutes long each and usually include some production footage. This must have been quite an undertaking assembling this and those very keen on the film may appreciate the ability to access certain specific segments. Also included are some short storyboard stuff (for Quartier de la Madeleine and Tour Eiffel) and a theatrical trailer.

I enjoyed many of the segments - Isabel Coixet's "Bastille", Alfonso Cuarón's "Parc Monceau", Chris Doyle's "Porte de Choisy", even Wes Craven's "Père-Lachaise" etc.. I'd find it hard to believe that someone couldn't enjoy quite a few of these shortish pastiches. Maybe it's on the pretentious side but the appeal lies beyond all the famous names associated. I thought it was all pretty cool, but someone should help First Look identify interlacing - this could have been taken from DC instead of a 35mm bump - I don't know, but it could also be as easy as checking a box on the computer software that transfers the DVD.