The first narrative feature from Eleanor Coppola (wife of
Francis, and mother of Sophia), “Paris Can Wait” is a pleasant, airy travelogue
about a woman rediscovering the simple pleasures of life. Diane Lane stars as
Anne, the wife of a workaholic film producer, Michael (Alec Baldwin). The
couple are set to depart the Cannes Film Festival for Budapest, where he has
some business to conduct before continuing on to Paris, but an earache prevents
Anne from joining her husband on their private jet. When Anne decides to travel
straight on to Paris, Michael’s producing partner, Jacques (Arnaud Viard), offers to drive her.
It should be
less than a day’s drive, but Jacques is in no hurry, stopping to smell the figurative
baguettes at every opportunity, and taking great satisfaction in introducing
Anne to new restaurants and pointing out historical sites and art of particular
significance. The short excursion gradually turns into a two day journey
through the French countryside.
Like a less
humorous variation on “The Trip,” another story about watching privileged
people enjoy a lush life of luxury, “Paris Can Wait” carries you along on waves
of lovingly photographed meals and locations. There are hints of hidden depths,
and a touch of romance through Jacques mildly flirtatious behavior, but Coppola
keeps it all below the film’s blandly serene surface. Anne remains a passive
character, following Jacques’ whims wherever they may take him. Lane and Viard are both agreeably warm performers, and they make the
trip charming enough that you’ll only occasionally find yourself wondering, “Are
we there yet?”
This article appears in Jun 21-27, 2017.
