2 Days in Paris... or more

1995

2004

2007

First it was Before Sunrise

~ Can the greatest romance of your life last only one night? ~

*9 years later , it was Before Sunset

~ What if you had a second chance with the one that got away? ~

and now, it is 2 Days in Paris....

The lead actor may have changed from the ever so handsome Ethan Hawke (though I can't say much abt his adulterous behaviour) but I'm just glad Julie Delpy is still the lead actress.

Her natural girlie charm never fails to bring out the romance in her movies which are often set in Paris. It is no wonder that I dream of being there one day, walking the same lanes and going down the same Seine River.
But in all three movies, it's not the lovey dovey scenes that captivate me...(in fact, there were not many of those scenes) Rather, it's the intense and fast-paced conversations that make me love all three movies. I think it is a blessing to be able to find someone whom you can really talk to... to really share each other's opinions without any inhibitions and to engage each other's minds.

Before Sunrise

I remember the first time I watched Before Sunrise, I was thinking how impossible it was for two people from different parts of the world to meet and click, just like that. But in the movie, they did. Their chance encounter led to a powerful meeting of hearts and minds. Such great chemistry is hard to come by and yet, the guy left it to chance and fate by leaving without exchanging numbers. They just made a promise to meet at the train station a year later which they failed to because of some unforseen circumstances. So frustrating. How could Jesse (acted by Ethan Hawke)have left it to chance?

Before Sunset

Nevertheless, life went on. He got married and had a kid. And she's attached. After nine long years, they met by chance again but the chemistry never seemed to have faded. Jesse was given a second chance with the one that got away? What would he do? What could he do even? Nothing... but if he wanted to act according to his heart, it would be unforgivable too.... One can't help but feel the loss and think about the 'could have-s' and the 'what if-s'. But what is more frustrating, is the ending. There seems to be no closure. The plot is just left hanging. But like some things in life, there are no closures.

Senseless deaths of young people. Leaving without saying goodbye. Sudden change of hearts.

2 Days in Paris

And so, when 2 Days in Paris was screened, I knew I needed to watch it for some alternative closure of sorts, some kind of continuation, considering the reviews said that it is possible to draw parallels between Before Sunrise/Before Sunset and 2 Days in Paris. I'm glad the leading man has changed. This new character seemed to be more level headed, more committed and seemed to love Julie's character more by not leaving things to chance. And there was at least a closure at the end of the movie.... unlike the other two.

Having watched all the romantic movies set in Paris, I'm not foolish to think that it is really like that. I know enough to know that the City of Love is ironically not as romantic as it seems. I've been asking around lately about what's going on in Paris with the riots and strikes, asking 7 who have been there and 3 who live there. Here's what they told me:

1. Strikes are very common. Currently, transport may be a problem as transportation worker strikes may occur any time.
2. Rioting used to consist of youths throwing cobblestones/rocks but now, the youths are starting to use shotguns. Part of the reason for rioting is due to the poverty at the suburbs. And in the latest clash, two teenagers were killed.
3. Some men, either drunk or jobless would just hug you from behind in broad daylight. My friend had that experience and she had to struggle to free herself. She's abt 1.7m and abt twice my size..She said looking at my size, it'll be harder to break free. Haiz...
4. Men like to close in on tourists especially Asians girls and keep saying Konichiwa as if all Asians are Japanese.
5. Some would grope. Another friend's grandma's butt was groped even!!!
6. Pick-pocketing is common, done very blatantly and no one bothers to help. Pick-pockets target tourists on the Metro so one must be careful when riding a train alone.
7. Some people pee at the Metro stations platforms (MRT equivalent) so it really stinks at some stations.
8. Don't look like a tourist. Don't read maps publicly as people may offer help.. but usually to get close enough to do something bad.
9. Never believe people in plain clothes who claim that they are police and want to check your bag/passport. My sis' friends were stopped by such people and they innocently did as they were told. In the end, their stuff were stolen and no one came to help them.
10. Alarm doesn't work cos no one bothers to help. Pepper spray and stunt guns may work but you have to buy them in Amsterdam and you must learn to use them properly in case it backfires.
11. In crowded lifts, some pickpockets would use a knife to cut one's backpack and retrieve whatever they can. My friend had her stuff stolen in the lift going down the Eiffel Tower. And when she tried to stop that fella, he just ran out of the lift and nobody helped.
12. If you try to report the crime to the police, they may pretend that they don't understand English and call for a translator and just drag your time there at the station. At the end of it all, nothing is usually done but the aim is to just get the report in order to claim some amount from your insurance.
13. Stay off certain territories. Asians are not welcome at some pubs. One can forget abt gg to Cuban lanes. A friend who accidentally entered one cuban club were chased by 3 big burly men. They managed to stop a car to hitch a ride but the men kept on banging the car boot till the driver drove off. Scary.
14. Go to shops that have lock down grills.. One friend was shopping when the riots occured. The shops immediately activated the grill which lock down the shop letting no one in and no one out till it was calmer outside.
15. Stay in hotels that have security codes that changes everyday.
16. Don't carry you DSLR in your hand. Snatch theives are known to snatch and run away with the camera.
17. Forget about driving or jaywalking. Traffic is a killer.. and drivers are very rude.

Wow.. Se7enteen already!!!

A Parisian was saddened that I heard so many nasty stuff abt their city. She said it's not as bad as I've heard. Still, knowing all these should serve as a precaution. It should help anyone who wants to go to Paris to be more alert but not to the point of being paranoid. And it definitely shouldn't be a deterrence to visit Paris.

I hope one day, I'll be able to walk down the places I saw in Before Sunset, Before Sunrise and experience at least 2 Days in Paris, fulfilling a desire that I had some 4 years ago.

Footnote:

*9 years later : For those who have been asking why 7 years later, the answer is simple. It started with Before Sunset's synopsis which stated 9 years later. It bore the symbolism of fate and hope and so I started using it. It later became 7 years later because of another movie (ALLL) which also stated 7 years later in the synopsis. So eversince, I decided to just stay with 7 years later cos it was my favourite number anyway. Lame but at least the 'mystery' is solved!