The short film presents an arduous task for many a filmmaker. Characters must be introduced and given enough depth that the audience is able to connect. A plot must be put in motion and have some sort of rising action, falling action, and climax. A theme must be developed that carries the story and gives it a reason for existence. And it all has to be accomplished in about 10 minutes or less.

Now, we’ve all seen feature lengths that struggle to achieve these goals over an agonizing 90 minutes, but an effective short film is able to develop character, plot, and theme in its short running time. A great short film is able to develop these three elements and incorporate them into a film that exists as a cogent, stand-alone work of art.

Paris, Je T’Aime or Paris, I Love You is a collection of 18 short films made by a broad spectrum of filmmakers. A number of renowned directors (Alfonso Cuaron, the Coen Brothers, Gus van Sant, Alexander Payne, Tom Tykwer) and actors (Elijah Wood, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Natalie Portman, Nick Nolte) lend their talents to the collection.

Each film is set in a different area of Paris, and naturally, the theme for the collection is love. As it turns out, the filmmakers’ perceptions of love vary widely, from a chance encounter on the streets to a mother and her child to a marriage saved to a marriage dissolving to vampire romance. Yes, vampire romance. The gamut is covered here, and although the effectiveness of the films varies, overall, it’s a solid collection.

Now, on to the films:

THE BEST

Tuileries dir. by Joel and Ethan Coen

A tourist in the metro (Steve Buscemi) ignores some very important advice in his travel book… and pays for it.

This short is classic Coens – the zooms, the quirky characters, the violence. Even in a few short minutes, the Coen signatures come through loud and clear, which is no small feat.

Parc Monceau dir. by Alfonso Cuaron

A man (Nick Nolte) and a woman meet surreptitiously on the streets of Paris, but she better get back before Gaspard wakes up.

The entire short consists of one handheld shot, at first far away from the characters, and slowly navigating its way close to them as the film progresses. It’s a great technique and works beautifully for this dialogue-driven piece. It’s smartly written, shot, and acted and has a nice surprise at the finish.