‘New York, I Love You’ Review: Eleven Shorts Confined to One Great City

“New York, I Love You” is the type of movie I, well, love.

This 2008 indie delivers comedic heart and light drama. The film consists of eleven vignettes; all focusing on different characters with their own unique tale of love, and all set within the confines of New York City.

Each of the eleven shorts were handled by a different director – including one by Natalie Portman in her directorial debut. Created and produced by French filmmaker Emmanuel Benbihy, “New York, I Love You” is the second installment in his “Cities of Love” franchise, all of which I will be checking out at some point.

It premiered at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. Like the similar styled “Short Cuts,” it has now landed in my Top Films list.

New York

Theres a massive ensemble that makes up the characters the film follows over five boroughs and 103 minutes. Some of the stories are better than others. A few are tiny glimpses whilst others go into a bit more depth. All are entertaining to watch.

Natalie Portman, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Bilson, Chris Cooper, Andy García, Christina Ricci, John Hurt, Robin Wright, Maggie Q, Ethan Hawke, James Caan, Shu Qi, Burt Young – and more. But the true star of the film is New York City itself.

Each of the directors tries to showcase the city from all its angles. Beautiful architecture, ominous late nights, and seedy side streets. Good and bad, it’s all here and all lets the viewer understand these people and events live in a place that’s unlike any other in the world. Everyone here is a character staring in their own play. “You know,” Ben (Hayden Christensen) says at one point. “New Yorks’ not such a big place.”

Great Acting

Despite the names mentioned above, the characters all feel like real New Yorkers. They all feel like real people.

I can believe Bradley Cooper arguing with a cabbie about the best route to take (subsequently getting ejected from the vehicle).

Or my boy Ethan Hawke casually flirting with a beautiful stranger on the street (Maggie Q).

It’s tough to pick a favorite. I loved the forbidden dalliance between Rifka (Natalie Portman) and Mansukhbhai (the great Irrfan Khan). Rifka is a Hasidic Jewish bride-to-be. Mansukhbhai is Gujarati Jain. They exchange flirtatious banter and comical fantasies that could make for a full-length picture.

I really enjoyed the film showcasing the true diversity of the city. An artist (Uğur Yücel) has gown infatuated with one of his subjects (Shu Qi). It’s a quick peek, but the actors both possess the looks of true New York.

There’s an unorthodox sequence with teens (Anton Yelchin and Olivia Thirlby) heading to the prom. The film closes with an enviable couple (Eli Wallach and Cloris Leachman) celebrating their 63-year anniversary.  

A Great Film

“New York, I Love You” is a fun movie. Fans of unorthodox filming structure will enjoy the multitude of characters and plot.

Multiple composers handle an excellent score which transitions the film without overstepping its bounds. Its beautifully shot and perfectly acted.