Sidewalks On The Corner

An anthology film joining several love stories set in one of the most loved cities of the world, New York. Natalie Portman, Robin Wright Penn, Chris Cooper, Ethan Hawke, Maggie Q, Orlando Bloom, Christina Ricci, Rachel Bilson, Andy Garcia, Hayden Christensen and Shia LaBeouf are some of the actors appearing in "New York, I Love You."

Follow up:

NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU
Rated: R
Running Time: 103 minutes
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Rachel Bilson, Natalie Portman, Orlando Bloom, Christina Ricci, Drea De Matteo, Shia LaBeouf, Robin Wright Penn

Studio 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.

Jeanne's Take:
Every moment another story begins, in the city that never sleeps...

"New York, New York it's a wonderful town,
The Bronx is up and the Battery's down,
The people ride in a hole in the ground,
New York, New York it's a wonderful town!"
(lyrics from film musical, "On the Town")

New York has been hailed as the Big Apple, the city with eight million stories, the city that never sleeps. It has been celebrated in film and song for decades. Recall Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra in the classic Hollywood musical "On the Town" (1949). Liza Minnelli and Robert DeNiro showcase the big band era in "New York, New York" (1977), directed by Martin Scorcese. And we all know how much Scorcese loves his home town.

For those who have a passion for New York -- or those who simply are in love with love -- there is NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU. This new release celebrates love in all its funny, sad and quirky forms. The cast of actors is hugh and talented. The love stories occur all over the place, Tribeca to Central Park, from Soho to the Upper West Side. Men and women, young and youthful in outlook, search for the perfect connection in taxis, on the subway, in bars and bistros, in the park, the dry cleaners, and even Brighton Beach on a sunny afternoon (Cloris Leachman and Eli Wallach).

The film is an amusing collection of stories about romance, assembled in vignettes lasting about eight minutes each. Lots of screenwriters contribute to this 103 minute film, including Scarlett Johansson. Directors include Mira Nair, Jiang Wen, Shekhar Kapur and Fatih Akin. One episode is written and directed by Natalie Portman; and she also appears in a different episode directed by Mira Nair.

As you can imagine in a film of this nature, skillful transitions are essential. Randall Balsmeyer is director of transitions for NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU. He weaves together this ensemble of stories with wit and imagination.

Among the talented actors bringing these stories to life are Christina Ricci and Orlando Bloom in one episode; Ethan Hawke and Andy Garcia in another; Julie Christie and John Hurt in a third; and Chris Cooper along with Robin Wright Penn in a fourth episode. The entire cast is much larger.
Characters include a taxi driver from Haiti who tosses out passengers arguing over the best route to drive; a Jain diamond broker (Irrfan Khan); an Hasidic bride who shaves her head in anticipation of marriage (Natalie Portman); a sultry call girl (Maggie Q); the charming pickpocket (Ethan Hawke) who tries to pick up someone else's girl at a bar; and a naive youth out for an unforgettable prom night with a pharmacist's daughter, with James Caan as the pharmacist.

Natalie Portman is perfect as the Hasidic bride to be, interacting with a Jain diamond broker on the purchase of a diamond ring. They bicker amiably over the price of the ring, as always -- is it for her this time? She says she is getting married and must shave her head. He says he was married once, but his wife left to become a nun and shaved her head. The discussion about hair turns into something more... Sweet and bittersweet.

A portrait painter (Ugur Yucel) ventures out of his studio to visit his herbalist in Chinatown, and falls in love -- suddenly, wordlessly -- with a new face behind the counter. Before the lovely Shu Qi can gather enough nerve to visit his studio to be painted, the artist draws his memory of her with whatever he has at hand. Moving in its simplicity and innocence. Fatih Akin is the director.

Julie Christie is a favorite of mine. Here she is flawless as a once great singer returning to a hotel full of memory from her glamorous past, along with a tragic secret. John Hurt attends her, with awe and admiration in his face and voice.

A sympathetic muse (Christina Ricci) is on the phone trying to calm a composer (Orland Bloom), who is frantic about an upcoming deadline. She prescribes Dostoyevski's novels as one way to ease his angst. Then she really surprises him. Even the characters' names are romantic here -- Camille and David. This episode is directed by Shunji Wai.

Of course, there is the French videographer from Mali (Emilie Ohana) whose images create this film mosaic in NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU. We see her riding in a taxi driven by the Haitian cabbie; he does not toss her out.

The tone and flavor of these cinematic episodes range from world weary to wistful to wicked. There's plenty of humor and enough love and sex, actual and potential, to reassure and redeem any minor flaws in the film.

Film credits could have been much clearer. Trying to figure out who appeared in which segment is confusing, especially with regard to actors who are not well known. Skipping another beat between segments would have been good as well, to give the viewer more time to absorb.

A kaleidoscope of surprising, eventful and ironic couplings about town, NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU works well overall. The viewer is invited to enjoy New York and to enjoy the adventures of New Yorkers in love.

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Jeanne Powell is a poet and short story writer, who teaches in a summer program for teens. Her most recent books are "My Own Silence" and "Word Dancing," available online and through booksellers. She also hosts spoken word events in San Francisco, and covers cultural happenings for online media.