COMEDY; 1hr 35min
STARRING: Julie Delpy, Chris Rock
Helping hand: Rock and Delpy
Having parted ways with her narky 2 Days in Paris boyfriend, photographer Marion (Delpy) and her young son have moved on — to New York City and radio personality Mingus (a downplaying Rock) and his young daughter. They’re a smoothly blended family until her visiting French rellies hurl a spanner into the works.
Marion’s beloved père (Albert Delpy, Julie’s real father) is detained in US Customs for smuggling sausage and cheese. She clashes with her saucy sister, Rose (Alexia Landeau), in feral style. Rose’s pot-fond boyfriend, Manu (Alexandre Nahon), completes the trio, such as it is.
Director and co-writer Delpy’s sparkle-arkling Paris voice is still tartly affectionate as she bridges Franco-American cultures with the sure-footedness of a woman equally at home in either one. I lapped up the hubbub, although it did begin to grate. But Delpy keeps everyone moving (which, to her credit, is tougher than it looks), is adventurous enough to take on offbeat mood swings, and is blessed with the chutzpah to just about pull off the contradictions.
