Forget Paris

Is there a specific reason why Crystal has not directed more often? I'm feeling like starting a petition and sending a copy of this to anyone who would potentially sign it. He, Mantegna, Kavner(the three reasons I gave it the much-deserved chance), Winger and Stevenson are fantastic. Their performances and the timing, spot-on. This is incredibly funny, in the clever, dry, not trying too hard kind of way. The humor does have a few gross moments, however, apart from that, it's all hilarious, if you're into the sarcastic, at times cynical, type of material. Hardly any gags or jokes fall flat, throughout it. It's well-acted, and the characters are good. In addition, it's highly involving, and you find yourself caring, not just laughing, during this. Part of the emotion comes from the honesty of this, that it isn't your usual romantic comedy of "boy who looks like a male model meets female lead who appears to have stepped right off the train from Glamourville", and so on and so forth. This has ups *and* downs, and goes beyond the superficial level of the Hollywood pap that we all know, without forgetting what genre of film it is. The story is imaginative and holds surprises. The writing is top-notch. Do note that this is not for kids, the rating the MPAA gave it makes sense. There is language and themes herein. I recommend this to any fan of anyone who was part of creating it, Billy in particular. 7/10

FORGET Paris is a sweet romantic comedy which Billy Crystal made after his best romantic comedy, WHEN HARRY MET SALLY. This time, though, it is Debra Winger rather than Meg Ryan who is opposite him. But Winger does nicely in the Ryan part and Crystal does nicely too.

Crystal is a basketball referee who is accompanying his father's dead body to Normandy for burial. The airline sends the body to Switzerland accidentally, and Winger is the airline official who smooths Crystal's ruffled feathers. She even attends the funeral, and soon the two of them are exploring the sites of Paris together. They get on well, but Crystal has to return to the U.S. But he returns and proposes marriage. After an initial delay, Winger accepts the proposal, and we watch the resulting marriage.

It is an intensely felt love affair, but it isn't smooth. She does not like losing her high paying job in Paris to return to the U.S., nor that he is going around the country most of the time as a referee at games. He tries to work at a different job, and finds her father (William Hickey) driving him batty with his senility (he keeps repeating the Toyota automobile slogan from the 1990s). And there are more serious problems about infertility, including a funny routine when Crystal is repeatedly delayed running to a fertility clinic.

The story of their love affair and marriage is related by Joe Mantegna, Richard Masur, Julie Kavner, and John Spencer, at a dinner party in an Italian restaurant. The personalities and marriage situations of the friends of our hero and heroine get exposed too during the dinner. All of the friends give good performances as does Hickey and Robert Constanza as the world's most philosophically charming waiter. Listen to him describing various drinks.

The film is a feel good movie, and does well as such.

This movie is interesting and unique, in the sense that it focuses on love AFTER marriage, and not before.

Billy Crystal plays a basketball referee who travels to Paris in order to bury his recently-deceased father. However alone the way the casket is lost and he's stuck in Paris, where he meets another single woman (Debra Winger) who's under similarly unfortunate circumstances.

They go out, have a fun time, and then resume their normal lives. Crystal goes back to basketball in the US but soon finds he can't concentrate and keeps thinking about his relationship.

Eventually they reunite and get married but it's an uphill struggle.

The movie kind of reminded me of "GoodFellas" (!) due to its structure and how it focused on the downfall of the marriage. Like Ray Liotta's marriage in "GoodFellas" it's not all peachy like most Hollywood films portray them as being.

My favorite sequence is when Crystal is transporting his semen to a hospital and gets stopped by a traffic cop. Some very funny moments like this, as well as good chemistry between the stars and an interesting narrative structure, make it a worthwhile - if not particularly memorable - romantic comedy, better than many others in its genre. At least it's entertaining and believable.

Multi talented Billy Crystal directed and wrote the screen play with Lowell Ganz. This comedy has its sad moments but even in tragedy this movie can be very funny. The cast in superb. Mickey Gordon, played by Crystal is a referee (When Harry met Sally, The Princess Bride) who has to go to Paris because his father wanted to be buried in France. The airline mishandled the corpse of his father. By the way this is a Tort in the US he could have gotten a lot of money because of that. He then meets Ellen Andrews, Debra Winger (An Officer and a Gentlemen, Terms of Endearment) who works for the airline. The story is told in a very creative fashion using a group of friends which meets in a restaurant and each tells part of the story. It starts with one couple and more friends keep coming and they do not know whether Mickey and Elle will show up and whether they are still together. Nice story telling! Just look at the names: Joe Mantegna (Up Close & Personal) is Andy; Cynthia Stevenson is Liz, Richard Masur (none other than the director of SAG himself) is Craig; Julie Kavner (Jake's Women, This is my Life) is Lucy who is on diet; William Hickey (I) is Arthur; Robert Costanzo, is the witty waiter his very funny lines; John Spencer (I) is Jack; Tom Wright (I) is Tommy; Cathy Moriarty is Lois; Johnny Williams (I) is Lou. Then there are all the athletes one can come up with. The Lady who plays the organ is so stuffy and funny! She loves to live in Paris, but she has follow her husband who is always traveling. I have seem this happen to many people.They tried to compromise but it does not work at all. Her father comes to live with them and that created more tension. Funny lines: " you asked for it, you got it Toyota!".

My favorite scenes: them driving around Paris; the bird glued to her face; when she shows up at the game and at the restaurant. I liked the movie. The music is nice. It made me laugh. I recommend it, it is an enjoyable movie.

Forget Paris is admittedly a film carried almost entirely by Billy Crystal, but with such witty delivery, he's perfect. Having said that, the whole cast look to be having a ball and it really comes across on-screen. Rose-tinted views of Paris, alongside near slapstick sketches in the States, makes for a fast-paced tale that you can just sit back and enjoy.

Mickey (Crystal) travels to France to bury his father, only to find that the airline has accidentally sent the body to the wrong airport. Ellen (Winger) is the airline official sent to assure Mickey that everything possible is being done. Despite meeting under such an awkward situation, soon enough they are walking the streets of Paris together and romance blossoms. But with lives on different sides of the Atlantic, there are going to be a lot sacrifices...

And if the movie ever begins to feel as though it might be getting bogged down in the romance, it steps out to the "present day" restaurant scene where friends are sharing the story, each telling a different part and eager to find out what happened in the end.

An entertaining, funny and above all, charming story.