Chantal Akerman's strange little romantic comedy has the bizarre sensibility of Safe, in which the characters seem claustrophobic in their immediate surroundings. Academy Award-winner William Hurt plays a reserved psychiatrist who decides to switch his frigid New York apartment for one in Paris for a couple of months. A flirtatious dancer (Oscar-winner Juliette Binoche) answers his ad, and they trade apartments, without ever meeting. Soon, they each become intrigued by the other's mystery. Though the film is slow at times, A Couch in New York has quirky characters and an interesting style. Hurt and Binoche reveal their characters' eccentricities cautiously, creating a warm, slightly off-kilter chemistry. Optional. (L. Russo)
A Couch in New York
(BMG, 104 min., R, avail. May 28) Vol. 12, Issue 3
A Couch in New York
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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