Recent years have brought an ever-accelerating flood of foodie films, both documentaries and scripted rom-coms. Surely you recall Chef (2014), The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014), The Lunchbox (2013), City of Gold (2015) and Burnt (2015).
Paris Can Wait, written and directed by Eleanor Coppola, is not a foodie film strictly speaking, but there are enough French food and wine moments that it might inspire you to reserve a table at one of our local French outposts, such as Brasserie du Parc or Cafe Azur.
Yes, director Eleanor Coppola, age 81, is part of that family. She is the wife of Francis Ford Coppola and mother of Sophia Coppola, and this film is based loosely on an adventure she had several years ago in France. Until now, Eleanor’s only filmmaking experience was working on the behind-the-scenes Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, the 1991 documentary about the making of her husband’s Apocalypse Now.
This new film couldn’t be more different. It’s refreshingly light, frothy even, and I suspect it will appeal most to an older audience, given the story line and its cast.
It begins with Anne (played by Diane Lane, above left) who is married to a very successful, but distracted – okay, inattentive – film producer (played by Alec Baldwin). They are in Cannes when he is unexpectedly called away. He takes the company jet, but Anne has an ear infection, which makes her too uncomfortable to fly. She agrees to travel from Cannes to Paris by car with her husband’s business associate Jacques (played by Arnaud Viard, above right).
What should take seven hours turns into an eye-opening two-day road trip that includes fine food, many bottles of wine, humor, wisdom and the awakening of romantic feelings. The affable Jacques, driving an ancient battered Peugeot convertible, knows his way around France and around the ladies. He tailors the trip to Anne/Eleanor’s interests, including a stop in Lyon where they visit the Institute Lumiere (the birthplace of cinema).
This sweet little macaron of a film is not a major motion picture, but it has its charming moments and photogenic locations. It opens here in Houston at the River Oaks Theatre on Thursday, May 25, at 7:15 pm and daily screenings begin Friday, May 26.
Enter the Paris Can Wait Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip for two to Francis Ford Coppola’s Winery. To enter, (1) subscribe to the Landmark Theatres mailing list (or already be signed up) and (2) email filmclubpromo@landmarktheatres.com by 11:59:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 28, 2017 with “PARIS CAN WAIT Sweepstakes ” in the subject line, and include your mailing address and phone number in the body of the email. Click here for the official rules.