Can I have my 80 minutes back?

Rating: 4/10 (19 April 2005)

This was actually a very interesting movie. The whole thing takes place in real time during a stroll, cup of coffee, short boat ride and short car ride through Paris. The couple does not stop talking once. Basically they are describing things that another director with a larger budget might have chosen to dramatize. Not that I don't like witty repertoire, but this was ridiculous. I mean it's clever enough, it is exactly the kind of conversation you might have if catching up with a one-night stand after 9 years. Though of course the "man" (Hawke) keeps somehow maneuvering the conversation back to jokes about getting the "woman" (Delpy) into the sack, which I found to be so juvenile. They skirt around touchy subjects like politics and religion and just when you think the conversation is going to turn into a debate they laugh and all is well (oh aren't they so cute). But I guess in real life that is what you would do with an acquaintance. The whole time we were watching we wondered what was going to happen. Something was going to happen. Nothing really does that isn't obvious. That's why I call this review a spoiler -- there is really nothing to spoil because nothing happens (and I don't mean nothing like Seinfeld's nothing which is really something, I mean NOTHING, just pleasant conversation). Don't get me wrong: the dialogue is very good. Ethan Hawke tends to pick very poetic touching movies. And any other night this would have made a good coffeehouse flick, but we were hoping for something with a little more meat. It was this or "Defending Your Life" and I really regret the decision we made! :) Best part of the movie: when Delpy sings the pretty waltz toward the end. Just lovely.