2 Days in New York

Taken on its own, 2 DAYS IN NEW YORK is witty and charming, with a frenetic Delpy at its center and a series of snafus unfurling at a laugh-a-minute speed. But it pales when evaluated as a sequel to 2 Days in Paris, the 2007 film also directed by and starring Delpy. The two movies share the same plot, with a long-term couple forced to reconsider their relationship after interactions with family push them both to do and say things they regret.

But while Paris was fresh and original, New York feels like a grainier facsimile with less credible characters. Marion's dad, who was zany before, now has his foibles cranked up beyond believability. And though hot-headed Marion picks fights in both films, in the first one, her issues seemed fairly legitimate; here it sometimes seems as if she flies off the handle for sport. Getting to know Marion and Mingus as a couple is interesting, but not quite as fun or incisive as it was getting to know Marion and Jack (Adam Goldberg).