2 Days in New York: Delightful look at families

Written by Mark Schumann, Father of Three
Thursday, 30 August 2012 13:14

Each week, the Reel Dad checks the nutritional value of a movie - new or classic - to help parents choose what to watch. This week’s pick is a new independent film, 2 Days in New York.

The old saying “you can choose your friends but not your family” comes to life in the engaging comedy 2 Days in New York. Under the guidance of writer/director/star Julie Delpy, what could be a tiresome and talky look at the lives of self-consumed New Yorkers emerges as a delightful exploration of complicated family relationships.

Delpy, the creative mind behind Behind Sunrise and Behind Sunset, again demonstrates her ability to develop rich characters through gesture and glance in addition to dialogue. Like the best of screenwriters, she seems to begin each scene somewhere in the middle, as if we suddenly observe a conversation already in progress. She never lets her characters reach beyond authentic behavior; never permits her ability to connect words to create conversations that couldn’t actually occur.

The writer/director casts herself as a vibrant French woman with a young son, a developing career as a photographer, and a complex set of close relations. Living with her boyfriend Mingus (Chris Rock) and his daughter, Delpy’s character of Marion (who also appeared in 2 Days in Paris) has found a rhythm in her life that permits all the variations that each day can create. Only when her father, sister and former friend come to visit her in Manhattan does she reveal how fragile her foundation may actually be.

To say this wacky family visits Marion is an understatement; “invades” is a more appropriate description. Her father is completely out of control, an animated man who has never recovered from the death of his wife. The sister is a self-absorbed woman who looks for ways to shock others while waiting for the right moment to criticize her sister. And the former friend, once involved with Marion and now with the sister, is a disgusting free spirit who shows little ability to show respect for anyone other than himself.

Through their hilarious interactions with Marion, this most complex character begins to answer questions about her life that may plague her happiness. Her family may not be the most positive collection of souls but they do enable her to define who she is, and why she is, and what she can be. And that, ultimately, gives the absurd visit a purpose in this woman’s life.

As an actress, Delpy invests the character with a vibrant sense of energy that reaches beyond the immediate moment. She is remarkably authentic in her performance; in this film, especially, she openly shows the character’s weaknesses to make Marion even more endearing. Likewise, the film is a breakthrough for Chris Rock who leaves behind his familiar comic persona to create a fully realized character of a man who deeply loves his daughter, and his lady, and seeks to find reason for the extremes of her family.

While certainly not a family film and, perhaps, too abstract for some audiences, 2 Days in New York reminds us what can happen on screen when a creator begins a project with a clear concept and the discipline to deliver. For Julie Delpy, the film is a triumph of artistic expression; for the rest of us, it offers a marvelous chance to sit back and consider our own family frailties.

Film Nutritional Value

2 Days in New York

* Content: High. Writer/director/actress Julie Delpy creates a memorable look at how family relationships define day-to-day choices.

* Entertainment: High. Delpy never forgets a movie should entertain even as it helps us look at our families.

* Message: Medium. No matter the dynamics of your family, chances are you may see something that reminds you of the people closest to you.

* Relevance: High. Any opportunity to explore the relationships in families is worthwhile.

* Opportunity for Dialogue: High. You and your older children will have a lot to talk about as you consider the family dynamics. But this is not a film for the entire family.

2 Days in New York is rated R for language, sexual content, some drug use and brief nudity, and runs 96 minutes.

4 Popcorn Buckets

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