New York, I Love You – Review

New York, I Love You and many other DVDs, both classic and new DVDs are available for UK visitors from Tesco Entertainment. It was co-directed by the world famous Japanese director Shunji Iwai and stars the beautiful Maggie Q. The stories, as its name implies, take place in New York City, and follows 10 short stories by numerous directors. It has a common theme besides taking place in New York, diversity and love. Each director based their short film on these themes. It is interesting to say the least but if your looking for easy entertainment, this isnt it. It’s a magical movie experience with a lot of humor, a lot of heart, and a slight wisp of sadness thrown in for good measure.

Having spent a few days in New York City last summer I can safely assume that New York, I Love You is not about New York. If it was, I’m not sure that any cinematic effort could possibly do justice to what is one of the most amazing cities on earth. There’s just too much there, too many contributing factors for any movie to properly pay tribute to New York City. Because at its heart, New York, I Love You is an indirect love letter, more about the words being used to express the sentiment than the sentiment itself. Having said that, would I have executed an homage to the city in this way? No. Which despite its all-star cast, it falls flat for the most part. I found this movie to be a mixture of emotions.

The best episode was directed by Joshua Marsten with Eli Wallach and Cloris Leachman, an old couple on their way for lunch in Coney Island. Their interaction and the love they show for each other after 63 years of marriage was perhaps the best scene in the movie. I think the script for Natalie Portman’s contribution was probably written on a napkin the day before shooting. You could do worse if you’re looking for a movie for Valentine’s Day but, as I’ve noted repeatedly, you could also do a lot better. New York, I love you, isn’t a movie I’ll want to revisit. Plus, unlike a few other ensemble movies, you never really get to know any of the characters besides what they’re emitting at that moment. A couple of other entries feel more gimmicky by comparison.

All in all, this stylish hodgepodge will appeal mostly to those who are drawn to the short story format. A lot of the shorts in New York, I Love You encapsulate the benefits that make living in the harsh city so worthwhile, from the way in which you are forced to interact with different cultures and religions on a daily basis. Aside from a sitcom-sweet excursion to Coney Island that I mentioned earlier in this review, I didn’t find much to gloat about. For a movie that’s about living and loving in New York, the city comes across as a surprisingly generic place. Rent if you must, but I wouldn’t buy this film.