We'll Never Have Paris
We'll Never Have Paris is a 2014 American romantic comedy directed by Simon Helberg (in his directorial debut) and Jocelyn Towne. It stars Helberg, Melanie Lynskey, Zachary Quinto, Maggie Grace, Jason Ritter and Alfred Molina. It is based on the real life engagement of star Simon Helberg to his wife, Jocelyn Towne.[3]
| We'll Never Have Paris | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Simon Helberg |
| Starring | |
| Music by |
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| Cinematography | Polly Morgan |
| Edited by | Mollie Goldstein |
Production company |
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| Distributed by | Orion Pictures |
Release date | |
Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The film had its world premiere at SXSW on March 10, 2014,[1] and was released in a limited release and through video on demand on January 23, 2015, by Orion Pictures.[4][2]
The title is a reference to the very famous line "We'll Always Have Paris" from the film Casablanca (1942).
Plot
Quinn (Simon Helberg) and Devon (Melanie Lynskey) are a couple since high school. Quinn works in a flower shop with Kelsey (Maggie Grace) and Devon teaches in local university. Kelsey tells Quinn she is in love with him and starts flirting with him. Quinn tells Devon he wants to take a step back in the relationship, she understands it's about Kelsey, storms out and stays at her parents. Quinn goes to Kelsey's, they kiss and she gives him a handjob which ends too soon and they go to sleep. In the morning Quinn feels guilty and decides to visit Devon at her parents and propose to her. He ends up confessing what happened with Kelsey and though it's over he still works with her. Devon gets angry, says they need time separately to figure things out and maybe he should be with other girls, so it won't plague him that he only slept with her. He finds on Facebook a single schoolmate, they have a date and sleep together. He understands he wants to be with Devon and quits his job. He goes to Devon's parents only to find out she has left for Paris, where they have relatives. He asks for her address to send her flowers, and shows up at her door. She tells Quinn she started dating Guillaume (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and she doesn't want to be back with him. Quinn surprises her at her grandparents, but to his surprise Guillaume is also there. After eating, both Guillaume and Quinn play short recitals. As Quinn finishes, his left eye is very red due to a medical problem he has (Pingueculitis). Ignoring the situation he takes out the ring and gets ready to propose. Devon enters the room, but surprisingly she is accompanied by Kelsey, coming to win Quinn back. This causes Quinn to accidentally step on Guillaume's heirloom violin and he crushes it, which causes a slap fight between the two. Ashamed, Quinn leaves and returns to his home alone. Devon surprises him at his new work and he proposes in his car. Right after she says yes he tells her about the one-night stand he had. After some tense talk, and groveling on Quinn's part, Devon takes off the ring and asks Quinn to propose again.
Cast
- Simon Helberg as Quinn Berman
- Melanie Lynskey as Devon
- Maggie Grace as Kelsey
- Zachary Quinto as Jameson
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Guillaume
- Jason Ritter as Kurt
- Alfred Molina as Terry Berman, Quinn's father
- Judith Light as Jean, Devon's mother
Production
The film marks Simon Helberg's directorial debut and is his wife Jocelyn Towne's second directorial feature. Filming began in July 2013 in New York City and Paris.[5]
Release
The film had its world premiere at SXSW on March 10, 2014,[6] and was the closing feature at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on June 29, 2014.[7] The film was acquired by Orion Pictures, and was released in a limited release, and through video on demand on January 22, 2015.[2]
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 33%, based on 24 reviews, with an average rating of 4.55/10.[8] The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a mixed review, citing it as "genial but not wholly persuasive".[9] Variety deemed it "sporadically amusing, but more often grating".[10] The Los Angeles Times gave a more positive review, calling it "a fun, quirky romantic comedy."[11]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Festival | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SXSW Film Festival | Audience Award – Narrative Spotlight | Nominated | ||
| Newport Beach Film Festival | Audience Award – Best Comedy Feature | Won | ||
References
- "Schedule - sxsw.com". SXSW Schedule 2014. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- Alex Stedman. "Simon Helberg's 'We'll Never Have Paris' Acquired for U.S. by Orion Releasing". Variety. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- "Simon Helberg's Catastrophic Break-up Story - David Letterman". Youtube. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
- Justin Chang. "'We'll Never Have Paris' Review: Simon Helberg's Self-Flattering Romantic Comedy - Variety". Variety. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- Mike Fleming Jr. "'Big Bang Theory's Simon Helberg Makes Directing Debut On 'We'll Never Have Paris' - Deadline". Deadline. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
- "Schedule - sxsw.com". SXSW Schedule 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
- "'Big Bang Theory' Star Simon Helberg Takes 'Paris' to Edinburgh". Variety. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
- "We'll Never Have Paris". rottentomatoes.com. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
- John DeFore. "We'll Never Have Paris: SXSW Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
- "'We'll Never Have Paris' Review: Simon Helberg's Self-Flattering Romantic Comedy - Variety". Variety. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
- "'We'll Never Have Paris' is a fun, quirky romantic comedy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 22 January 2015.