Vincent Gallo Ate My Soul

As odd as the title of this post sounds, I swear it will all make sense as soon as you see 2 Days in New York, the new film co-written and directed by actress Julie Delpy.  This little slice-of-life indulgence is a follow-up to 2 Days in Paris (2007), a movie that is still sitting unwatched in my Netflix queue, so  I don't think you need to see the Paris film before this piece.  Delpy plays Marion, a woman living with her boyfriend Mingus, played by Chris Rock, and their two children from prior relationships in a trendy loft apartment in NYC.  Comedy and uncomfortable situations ensue when Marion's father, sister, and her sister's boyfriend arrive from France for a visit a few days before the debut of Marion's photography exhibit.  You know when you are brand new to a relationship and everything seems shiny and bright... and then someone passes gas and ish starts getting real?  That's how this film unfolds as Marion's family exposes the odors that may be lurking beneath the surface of Marion's and Mingus's affable existence.  Marion and Mingus have to figure out if their relationship will endure in spite of their respective expectations and flaws.  Usually I think Rock has a hard time in most of the acting roles he chooses--I think his stand-up is far superior to his acting skills.  But he does a pretty good job here playing straight to Delpy's Marion who is a little bit psycho.  And the scenes featuring Delpy's real-life father Albert Delpy, who looks like Santa Claus, are hilarious. The juxtapositions of French versus American culture also provide for several laughs.  The story meanders a bit, but overall I was pleasantly entertained.