Paris Je t'aime

One of the most anticipated films we viewed at the Seattle Film Festival has been Paris Je t'aime, a delightful stack of greeting cards from the city of lights. Eighteen directors contributed to the film, including the Coen brothers, screenwriter turned director Richard LaGravenese, Tom Tykwer (Run, Lola, Run) , Alexander Payne (About Schmidt, Election), Gurinder Chadha (Bend it Like Beckham), Alfonso Cuarón (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkanban), Walter Salles (Dark Water) and horror master Wes Craven.

The vignette concept works here better than in similar efforts that I've seen, mainly due to the common theme that threads its way through the shorts. There is a unity and cohesiveness present among these stories about love which makes watching this film a true joy.

The cast, which includes Nick Nolte, Natalie Portman, Gerard Depardieu, Barbet Schroeder, Juliette Binoche, Miranda Richardson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Bob Hoskins, Elijah Wood, Ben Gazzara, Gena Rowlands and Steve Buscemi, takes audiences on an emotional journey through the heart of Paris in this movie about living and longing and losing and loving.

Bring a date.