A two-day road trip which showcases the magnificent scenery and delectable gastronomic delights of southern France perks up Eleanor Coppola’s Paris Can Wait, which was screened at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. This an old-school 1950s movie, and Coppola has resurrected it in style.
Starring Diane Lane as the wife of a busy, penny-pinching movie producer and Arnaud Viard as her husband’s suave French friend and partner, Paris Can Wait is light and enjoyable fare, easily digested.
Michael (Alec Baldwin) and his wife, Anne (Lane), are getting ready to leave Cannes. They’re bound for Paris, but Anne’s ear ache prevents her from boarding the plane that is supposed to fly them there. Jacques (Viard), a bon vivant, is only too glad to drive her to Paris in his jaunty sports car.
Smitten by Anne, an attractive woman in her early 50s, Jacques prolongs the trip by taking a circuitous route to Paris. As they drive through Province, they pass mountain ranges, lavender fields, castles and a Roman aqueduct. Although Anne wants to be reunited with Michael as soon as possible, she goes along with Jacque’s antics. He’s a great guide, not to mention a seasoned epicure who adores French cuisine. “Food is good for the soul,” he says in his endearing Gallic accent.
As they eat and drink their way through France, using Anne’s credit card to finance their idyl, Jacques asks her intrusive questions about her marriage. But Jacques is so charming, polite and accommodating that Anne tolerates his indiscreet questions. As the hours go by, Anne comes to the belated realization that her life with Michael, her second husband, is in drastic need of improvement.
In a sense, Paris Can Wait resembles a travelogue. “Let’s pretend we have a year to get there,” says Jacques, eager to show her the lovely sights and take her to memorable restaurants. So it’s less than surprising that the film dwells lovingly on the exquisite dishes and the fine wines they order and consume to their delight. Anne, her digital camera at the ready, photographs the mesmerizing sights and their unforgettable meals.
The chemistry between Lane and Viard is magnetic. They like each other and their companionable exchanges are infectious. In a vintage scene, they stop for a picnic by a river after Jacques’s car breaks down. He lays out a blanket on the grass and they enjoy what he describes as a “five-star picnic.”
In Lyons, they walk through a divine market that, Jacques claims, is the best in France. Judging by its superb selection of cheeses, Jacques is quite the connoisseur.
Finally, Anne can no longer put up with Jacques’ detours and demands to be driven to Paris without further delay. Being an honorable gentleman, he obliges. But Jacques is not finished wooing Anne. He has more “tricks” up his sleeve. The tantalizing question remains: will she succumb to his gentle romantic overtures?
In Paris Can Wait, Coppola has made an appealing movie that virtually everyone can savour. It hits the right notes and, thanks to an excellent cast, it leaves a pleasant taste in one’s mouth.