2 Days in Paris

In some regards, "2 Days in Paris" is a close cousin to Richard Linklater's "Before Sunrise" (1995) and "Before Sunset" (2004), two films that also starred Julie Delpy.

Like those pictures, this comedy doubles as both a European travelogue and a romance. It also has some things in common with Ben Stiller's so-called "embarrassment comedies," especially "Meet the Parents."

As a result, "Paris," which Delpy also wrote and directed, is a sometimes uncomfortable hybrid of the two styles. It's definitely cruder and nastier than the Linklater movies, though it does have some funny and perceptive moments.

Delpy plays Marion, a photographer who's in a two-year committed relationship with neurotic designer Jack (Adam Goldberg). Things have been a bit rocky between the two recently, so the couple has gone to Europe — specifically the supposedly romantic city of Paris, where Marion was born.

While there, the couple plans to take in the sights and visit Marion's parents (Albert Delpy and Marie Pillet), but along the way, they run into several of her old boyfriends.

Her flirtations with her still friendly exes seriously test Jack's patience, and it doesn't help that he's already edgy and uncomfortable because of the language barrier.

Like her first, Delpy's second feature as director has a loose, improvised feel to it. She does show some confidence behind the camera, though — and her real-life parents playing her onscreen parents are a hoot.

But it might not have been the smartest idea to have Goldberg (HBO's "Entourage") play the more sympathetic of the two characters. His twitchy mannerisms are something of an acquired taste.

"2 Days in Paris" is rated R for crude sexual humor and strong sexual language (profanity, slang and other suggestive talk), nudity (photos and artwork), simulated sex and other sexual contact, drug content (various pharmaceuticals and heroin references), and slurs based on race and sexual preferences. Running time: 96 minutes.

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