I imagine there will be a lot of trips to France booked once viewers take in Paris Can Wait, a glorified infomercial for French cuisine directed by Eleanor Coppola, wife of Francis Ford Coppola. In her debut narrative feature, the 81-year-old Coppola pulls from a memory from her past for this enjoyable but empty trifle. Are we sure this wasn't an ad for Chinese food? Because by the time it's over you'll be hungry for something more than just a gorgeous hors d'oeuvre.
Diane Lane, back in her "middle-aged journey of discovery" comfort zone, is by far the most scrumptious, delightful part of this Euro-trip. Forget Alec Baldwin, who is billed alongside her, because he barely makes an appearance although we do hear him in voicemail quite a bit. Lane plays his wife, Anne Lockwood, who endures her busy Hollywood producer husband barely paying her any attention unless it's to ask where his socks are. After twenty years of marriage she's basically become his assistant, with her needs rarely fulfilled. She's accepting of it until a contrivance (a convenient ear ache) causes her to ditch their flight to Budapest, and instead travel by car from Cannes to Paris with her husband's flirty French business partner Jacques (Arnaud Viard).
It wouldn't be fair to say nothing happens for the rest of this trip, but not a lot of consequence. That is unless you're invested in Anne's indulgence of every beautifully-photographed food under the Parisian sun. Jacques not only can't resist every opportunity to stop for a bite to eat, he can't resist Anne's obvious charms, honing in on the unhappiness she feels with her current relationship. And as we are often reminded, the French treat marriage a little bit differently than us frosty Americans, and Jacques is VERY French. The guy can make a Michelin star worthy meal out of just about anything. A roadside picnic of wild watercress and cheese looks better than that Pizza Hut dinner you ordered last weekend.
Food can be very sexy, and French food is downright amorous. Coppola understands the emotions that can be stirred by a simple photograph, with Anne's taking snaps of everything from jus d’agneau to escargot to crème brulee. There's passion which Coppola allows to build throughout this journey that never reaches a satisfactory climax. While Lane is utterly disarming as Anne, you wish there was a little bit more to her than just a dissatisfied housewife with a large appetite.
Rating: 3 out of 5
