Paris J’Taime

Tonight I watched a film called 'Paris J’Taime.' If you've seen Amelie, you've probably seen this movie but if you haven't, I suggest you give it a watch for it is quite fantastic. Basically, it's a string of 18 stories by 18 different directors, each set in a different district of Paris. Love is what glues the pieces together but not always in the way you'd expect.

Here's an excerpt of a review which I think sums the film up nicely.

''The tourist experience of Paris is unlike anywhere else. It is an intimidating place, especially for a lingually challenged dolt like me and there is so much going on it's difficult to focus and you're inevitably not going to see all of the things you’d want to. But it’s also a dream-like, intoxicating place and the emotions you experience as you stroll along its long boulevards, through its ancient buildings and attempt to get service in its restaurants is like nowhere else. It can also be depressing, particularly if like me you've visited alone, and there isn’t anyone with whom you can share the romance (except, perhaps, total strangers). I’ve yet to see a film which entirely captures the experience of an outsider visiting the place that manages to highlight the magic with the tragic but the new anthology film Paris J’Taime comes very close, particularly in the segment by Alexander Payne about a woman who visits the city alone but still somehow manages to fall in love with the place despite that. Payne’s section of the film manages to combine some of the funniest material with the saddest as she notices that you can both love and hate the city in equal measure. Best moment? When she says in the voice over that asking for directions gives her a chance to try out her French, only to be answered in perfect English by the Parisian shop keeper -- something which has happened to us all probably.''

Payne's segment really resonated with me as well. I've been fortunate to visit Paris twice but even on the second occasion, I found the city hard to relax into for all the reasons mentioned above. And like the woman in Payne's story, I fell in love with the city despite eating cheap Chinese for dinner and buggering up all my attempts at French. The moment I fell? Sitting in a park, watching softly spoken French children sliding and swinging in the morning sun.

Co-incidentally, the film also references a book called Sputnik Sweetheart which Sandra recently blogged about. So that's my next read sorted:)

PS: Unfortunately I couldn't find any decent screen shots to post so you'll just have to watch the movie! Durbanite's can rent it from Video Mogul in Musgrave Rd.