NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU Movie Review

A while back I got a chance to attend a screening for New York, I Love You, which was released to theaters today, October 16, 2009.

New York, I Love You is a collection of short films that all take place in New York and involve some sort of love story. It's the second episode in the "Cities of Love" series of collective feature films from producer Emmanuel Benbihy, following Paris, Je t'aime.

There are a total of 10 short films directed by Jian Wen, Mira Nair, Shunji Iwai, Yvan Attal, Brett Ratner, Allen Hughes, Shekhar Kapur, Natalie Portman, Faith Akin, Joshua Marston, and 11th director Randy Balsmeyer was in charge of all the transitional scenes.

Some of the cast includes Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, Andy Garcia, Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson, Natalie Portman, Irrfan Khan, Emilie Ohana, Orlando Bloom, Christina Ricci, Maggie Q, Ethan Hawke, Anton Yelchin, James Caan, Olivia Thirlby, Blake Lively, Drea De Matteo, Julie Christie, John Hurt, Shia LaBeouf, Ugur Yucel, Taylor Geare, Carlos Acosta, Jacinda Barrett, Shu Qi, Burt Young, Chris Cooper, Robin Wright Penn, Eva Amurri, Eli Wallach, and Cloris Leachman.

I ended up liking New York, I Love You even more than Paris, Je t'aime. The stories were all really interesting and the actors were great.

I had two favorite segments. First, my all time favorite was Shekhar Kapur's segment on the Upper East Side starring Julie Christie and Shia LaBeouf. It was written by the late Anthony Minghella, who was also supposed to direct it but unfortunately passed away before he was able to. It is a really beautiful and touching story, and Shia LeBeouf will blow you away. This is definitely one of my favorite performance of his.

The other really great one is Yvan Attal's segment in Soho starring Ethan Hawke and Maggie Q. It was so simple but so funny and great, I actually want to watch it again. And Ethan Hawke manages to shine in the small amount of time he has. Probably one of his best scenes ever.

A few other segments worth mentioning were:

Brett Ratner's segment in Central Park starring James Caan, Anton Yelchin and Olivia Thirlby, which is pretty memorable. You definitely won't see the end coming.

Allen Hughes' segment in Greenwich Village with Drea De Matteo and Bradley Cooper had a really interesting feel, and I liked the way it was put together.

And finally, Joshua Marston's segment at Brighton Beach with Cloris Leachman and Eli Wallach was very sweet. I think it'll put a smile on your face and is a great way to end the film.

The rest of the segments were also all pretty good, but these are the ones that stood out to me.

Another part that I really enjoyed about New York, I Love You is that they tie in all the stories together by using another character, a New York videographer (played by Emilie Ohana), who interacts with the other characters throughout the movie, which gives it a whole new dimension.

Overall, if you enjoyed "Paris, Je t'aime," or are a fan of the city of New York, or like short films, you'll most likely enjoy New York, I Love You. And even if you don't fit into any of these categories, I would give it a chance anyway, it might surprise you.
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Title: NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU
Directors: Jian Wen, Mira Nair, Shunji Iwai, Yvan Attal, Brett Ratner, Allen Hughes, Shekhar Kapur, Natalie Portman, Faith Akin, Joshua Marston, Randy Balsmeyer
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, Andy Garcia, Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson, Natalie Portman, Irrfan Khan, Emilie Ohana, Orlando Bloom, Christina Ricci, Maggie Q, Ethan Hawke, Anton Yelchin, James Caan, Olivia Thirlby, Blake Lively, Drea De Matteo, Julie Christie, John Hurt, Shia LaBeouf, Ugur Yucel, Taylor Geare, Carlos Acosta, Jacinda Barrett, Shu Qi, Burt Young, Chris Cooper, Robin Wright Penn, Eva Amurri, Eli Wallach, Cloris Leachman
Synopsis: In the city that never sleeps, love is always on the mind. Those passions come to life in NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU – a collaboration of storytelling from some of today's most imaginative filmmakers and featuring an all-star cast. Together they create a kaleidoscope of the spontaneous, surprising, electrifying human connections that pump the city's heartbeat. Sexy, funny, haunting and revealing encounters unfold beneath the Manhattan skyline. From Tribeca to Central Park to Brooklyn the story weaves a tale of love as diverse as the very fabric of New York itself.
Release Date: October 16, 2009
Watch the trailer here