User reviews

There are those comedies that are a good watch once, and that's it. However, there are those few romantic comedies that capture your attention and the humor is able to stay with you for a long time. This is one of those films. Narrated by several of the characters in the film, it has a special quality one can never forget.

From beginning to end, the narrators tell the love story of how the two leads meet, fall in love, and have troubles. Around four or five years is covered in the whole two hour piece. It's comedically written, but then, Crystal is the genius behind that, and it was well executed acting and directing wise.

Anyone who enjoys beautiful cinematography and great lines in a film, you'll enjoy Billy Crystal's "Forget Paris".

This movie is interesting and unique, in the sense that it focuses on love AFTER marriage, and not before.

Billy Crystal plays a basketball referee who travels to Paris in order to bury his recently-deceased father. However alone the way the casket is lost and he's stuck in Paris, where he meets another single woman (Debra Winger) who's under similarly unfortunate circumstances.

They go out, have a fun time, and then resume their normal lives. Crystal goes back to basketball in the US but soon finds he can't concentrate and keeps thinking about his relationship.

Eventually they reunite and get married but it's an uphill struggle.

The movie kind of reminded me of "GoodFellas" (!) due to its structure and how it focused on the downfall of the marriage. Like Ray Liotta's marriage in "GoodFellas" it's not all peachy like most Hollywood films portray them as being.

My favorite sequence is when Crystal is transporting his semen to a hospital and gets stopped by a traffic cop. Some very funny moments like this, as well as good chemistry between the stars and an interesting narrative structure, make it a worthwhile - if not particularly memorable - romantic comedy, better than many others in its genre. At least it's entertaining and believable.

Is there a specific reason why Crystal has not directed more often? I'm feeling like starting a petition and sending a copy of this to anyone who would potentially sign it. He, Mantegna, Kavner(the three reasons I gave it the much-deserved chance), Winger and Stevenson are fantastic. Their performances and the timing, spot-on. This is incredibly funny, in the clever, dry, not trying too hard kind of way. The humor does have a few gross moments, however, apart from that, it's all hilarious, if you're into the sarcastic, at times cynical, type of material. Hardly any gags or jokes fall flat, throughout it. It's well-acted, and the characters are good. In addition, it's highly involving, and you find yourself caring, not just laughing, during this. Part of the emotion comes from the honesty of this, that it isn't your usual romantic comedy of "boy who looks like a male model meets female lead who appears to have stepped right off the train from Glamourville", and so on and so forth. This has ups *and* downs, and goes beyond the superficial level of the Hollywood pap that we all know, without forgetting what genre of film it is. The story is imaginative and holds surprises. The writing is top-notch. Do note that this is not for kids, the rating the MPAA gave it makes sense. There is language and themes herein. I recommend this to any fan of anyone who was part of creating it, Billy in particular. 7/10

On date 5 November 1998, IMDb user "OffYear" from Chicago wrote:

>Billy Crystal: The poor, stupid man's Woody Allen.

>Crushingly bad. Crystal, having already ripped off 'Annie Hall' with the vastly overrated 'When Harry Met Sally' now rips off the lesser 'Broadway Danny Rose'.

And, on date 13 March 2002, IMDb user "Movie-Robot" from New York agreed:

>The guy here who called Crystal "The poor, stupid man's Woody Allen" has a point.

On the other hand, on date 2 March 2002, "The Movie Buff" from Nyc had written:

>This movie holds the record of earliest advanced screening before being released of all-time, 18 years. The film was shown at an advanced screening back in 77 when it was under the working title ANNIE HALL!!!

Does it mean that Woody Allen, when directing "Broadway Danny Rose", ripped off "Annie Hall"!?

Ok, I apologize to these users, whose comments I found anyway very interesting, and suggested me a point of view I had not taken. That's the point! I was not able to see any unforgivable pillage from Allen's movies.

I think Billy Crystal did not want to Explain The Mystery Of Love neither to portrait New Characters Of Modern Times. This is mostly Allen's trade.

Forget Paris is essentially a light comedy, and Billy Crystal is a brilliant guy. Debra Winger is amiable and graceful and many funny dialogues are as original as unforgettable (as the one when he asks her to marry him).

There is actually a scene which irritated me, the one where they lie by the fireplace, I found it kitch, it does not fit well with the rest. But the movie is a must-see for all lovers of the genre.

What about the soundtrack? Well, it just picks up some of the most beautiful songs by Cole Porter, the Gershwins and some other great american composer. If it is lawful, well, it is a beautiful soundtrack!

This is possibly the worst date movie since "I Spit on Your Grave". But I loved it.

As only the charmingly cynical Billy Crystal can give us, this is the story of what happens AFTER "happily ever after". It exposes all the warts & blemishes & dirty socks that plague an average dysfunctional couple but does it in a funny way that never feels upsetting, disturbing or depressing. Still, don't see it with anyone you're remotely romantic with because it will certainly dispel the charm.

On the other hand, if you are already in a dysfunctional relationship, maybe on the verge of a divorce or breakup, then definitely SEE THIS MOVIE. It can be cathartic, better than any $200/hr marriage therapist. After all, what do you have to lose, you miserable schlep?

Told in an interesting, non-linear, "Citizen Kane" way (i.e. told in flashback through the subjective interpretations of different characters), it carries a mounting sense of mystery and suspense that keeps you guessing until the very end. That's what separates it from the standard dysfunctional rom-com (romance on the Orient Express?). Agatha Christie would be proud.

Where this movie falls slightly short, and the reason why I'm docking it a few stars, is the chemistry between Billy Crystal and Debra Winger. Though both fine actors, I never found them convincing as a couple, not the way we saw with Billy Crystal & Meg Ryan a few years earlier in "When Harry Met Sally". But sheesh, nothing will ever touch that movie, it was so perfect.

"Forget Paris" is a great movie to watch and remind yourself that love isn't always Valentine's Day & rose-covered mattresses. But love can still be an interesting ride. It's hard to think of many other films that achieve this. But maybe I'd compare it to "War of the Roses", "Singles" and the classic Kim Novak/Dean Martin flick "Kiss Me, Stupid".

This movie was always on the top of my waiting list because I just really like romantic American movies that happen in my country. But right now, I receive it more personally than ever! For me too, an unforgettable story has been born on the banks of the Seine (more the VII district for me). So it's really moving (and fun) to share Crystal/Winger romance blooming. It's a sort of "What If…".

For sure, after the fireworks of the meeting, comes the harsh reality that can threaten it!

From that moment, the movie turns feeble because the Crystal character is too egomaniac.

For me, the best definition for "Love" is when you can forget yourself, and for that instance, Crystal is very deficient and it appears like a totally different person he was in Paris: he doesn't want to quit his job, he doesn't speak to her father… At the same time, Winger shows a lot of compassion and faces great pain for her femininity! It's just too big to be true…

But, the story is told with a nice gimmick (the memories from their close friends), it has really funny quotes.

For married couples of at least 10 years and/or over 40, this is an entertaining and intelligent movie. Billy Crystal captures the emotions and angst of a certain age and time in one's life, when looking back and forward is done with some trepidation, and the results are, if you're honest, mixed. Put the kids to bed, tell the teenagers you're busy and see this one with your spouse. Well worth the video rental.

Sadly lackluster romantic comedy, co-written, directed and starring Billy Crystal, is told in deadly flashbacks. A group of friends recount a colleague's courtship (and eventual marriage) to an unfulfilled woman, resulting in comic disasters. French locations and a bright cast do help a little bit, but the screenplay isn't very funny, instead becoming weighed down with cheap, lousy sentiment that doesn't play (and has more than a whiff of "When Harry Met Sally..." besides!). Only a minimum of laughs surface, particularly when William Hickey is on-screen as Debra Winger's aged father. Otherwise, Crystal and Winger are not well-matched and their marital ups-and-downs have a depressive feel, with an uneasy give and take full of failed wisecracks and pregnant pauses. Forget it! *1/2 from ****

FORGET Paris is a sweet romantic comedy which Billy Crystal made after his best romantic comedy, WHEN HARRY MET SALLY. This time, though, it is Debra Winger rather than Meg Ryan who is opposite him. But Winger does nicely in the Ryan part and Crystal does nicely too.

Crystal is a basketball referee who is accompanying his father's dead body to Normandy for burial. The airline sends the body to Switzerland accidentally, and Winger is the airline official who smooths Crystal's ruffled feathers. She even attends the funeral, and soon the two of them are exploring the sites of Paris together. They get on well, but Crystal has to return to the U.S. But he returns and proposes marriage. After an initial delay, Winger accepts the proposal, and we watch the resulting marriage.

It is an intensely felt love affair, but it isn't smooth. She does not like losing her high paying job in Paris to return to the U.S., nor that he is going around the country most of the time as a referee at games. He tries to work at a different job, and finds her father (William Hickey) driving him batty with his senility (he keeps repeating the Toyota automobile slogan from the 1990s). And there are more serious problems about infertility, including a funny routine when Crystal is repeatedly delayed running to a fertility clinic.

The story of their love affair and marriage is related by Joe Mantegna, Richard Masur, Julie Kavner, and John Spencer, at a dinner party in an Italian restaurant. The personalities and marriage situations of the friends of our hero and heroine get exposed too during the dinner. All of the friends give good performances as does Hickey and Robert Constanza as the world's most philosophically charming waiter. Listen to him describing various drinks.

The film is a feel good movie, and does well as such.

NBA referee Mickey Gordon (Billy Crystal) is willing to make the tough calls on the court. His best friend sports writer Andy (Joe Mantegna) is on a group date with Liz (Cynthia Stevenson) waiting for Mickey and others to show up. Andy recounts Mickey's strangest first meeting ever with Ellen Gordon (Debra Winger). Mickey traveled to France to bury his late hated father with his war comrades. The airline lost the body and it's up to customer service rep Ellen to help. After a wonderful time in Paris, he had to return for the new NBA season.

There are some great stuff in this slightly offkilter rom-com. Crystal and Winger get to say some great lines with their fun delivery. In general, they are able to project a good relationship chemistry. There are fun observational bits like Ellen's muttering father. This is also noted for many cameos by NBA players. There are small deviations from the rom-com formula that keeps this from being better. Usually the formulaic start is more combative. This one is quirky but not heated. It fails to raise the temperature of the relationship. The relationship is retold by others. It leaves the flow disjointed but at least, they are able to keep the final status of the relationship a mystery. Overall, there are some great bits and lines by great comedic actors.

Billy Crystal was his normal funny self, evoking a number of laughs in here BUT, lest you think this is a comedy, it's more of a drama....much more. I say that because much of this shows a courtship and a marriage. The courtship is romantic and cute, of course, but the marriage are not. Things don't work out between Crystal's "Mickey Gordon-" and Debra Winger's "Ellen" and many of the scenes with them arguing are not fun to watch. It fact, some are downright uncomfortable. I'm not a fan of Winger's low and raspy voice, nor seeing marriages crumble.

Thus, my favorite parts of this film were all in the beginning, especially when "Mickey" was an NBA referee. A few basketball stars got a chance to act, too, showing they should stick with sports. Crystal is a big sports fan so I'm sure enjoyed that segment of the movie.

Also commendable are the nice shots of Paris. I never get tired of looking at that city, no matter what film.

I wanted to like this. It does not shirk from showing the real difficulties marriage has - or the anti-climax marriage can prove after the romance of courtship.

I also applaud its realism - many matters don't prove right in the end in real life - nor in this movie - no matter how much they try. Reconciliations fade in light of fundamental issues that exist from the beginning of the marriage.

However, as comedy, the movie usually seemed lame - it had its moments but they were too few. And as drama, there weren't enough moments of real suspense. As a romance, it fails - it's too realistic and I never felt any magic in Debra Winger's character. She was fairly nice, fairly attractive, but rather humdrum in personality. We are taken down a lane familiar to married couples - with all the aggravations real life produces and an occasional chuckle.

The movie is the rather tedious alternative to "happily ever after" - and though the movie rings more truly than "happily ever after",it's not as satisfying. Very little would be needed to darken this movie into "An Unmarried Woman". I preferred Mr. Saturday Night for its dark look at the life of a Milton Berle sort of character - at least it was unfamiliar and interesting territory - this isn't. I do wish I could say otherwise and again think well of Crystal in one respect: he doesn't sugarcoat his tale.

Produced, Directed, Co-Written by and Starring Billy Crystal, 'Forget Paris' shows the comedic legend at his most confident. This 1995 underrated Romantic-Comedy is an amusing blend of love & zany. And it helps when Debra Winger is the leading-lady.

'Forget Paris' Synopsis: An NBA referee and an independent working woman, find their lives interrupted by love and marriage.

'Forget Paris' is a charming tale on love, marriage & life, itself. The Screenplay by Crystal, Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel humorously narrates this tale of an unlikely couple & throws them into a world full of humor. I found myself laughing most times & never felt bored. I also liked how the story is narrated by the protagonist's friends over a dinner, giving the film that extra edge, containing surprise. However, the Writing in the last-hour is a bit off and drags. The final-act could've been better, for sure. But otherwise, there is less to complain here.

Crystal's Direction is self-assured, as he's handled the film well. He keeps the goings-on light & uncomplicated. Cinematography is tops. Editing is mostly on-point. Art & Costume Design are satisfactory.

Performance-Wise: Crystal is a comedic genius & there are no surprises on that. He shines here too, enacting the leading-man with just enough madness to pull him through. Debra Winger, who's unfortunately pretty absent in movies off late, is a delight. There is not a single false note in her portrayal. Both the actors also share a rather infectious on-screen chemistry. Of the supporting cast, Joe Mantegna is excellent as Crystal's best friend & The Late/Great William Hickey is funny as Debra's dad.

On the whole, 'Forget Paris' deserves a watch for sure. Its A Lot Of Fun!

I thought the previous comment was unnecessarily harsh. No, _Forget Paris_ is not the best movie in the world. But it's charming and funny, with a wonderful supporting cast. Julie Kavner, John Spencer, and Cynthia Stevenson are particularly good in their roles as friends of the struggling couple played by Winger and Crystal. The waiter's "It's like me..." running gag is worth the price of a rental all by itself. Give it a chance. It's a good one to watch curled up with your sweetie -- especially if you've been together a while.

An hilarious movie to want to see. Forget Paris is a riot. It has actor-director Billy Crystal playing a basketball refery. After a wild goose chase trying to bury his father, he then meets a girl named Ellen (Debra Winger) and later get married. It's main story sacrifices the two. Both your married couple having the good things in life and the bad things in life. Whatever the problem is, it's always pretty funny to watch. That's because writers Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandell make Forget Paris a treat to see. Special appearance by Charles Barkley and other basketball players, too.

The movie starts in a strange way. A few famous basketball-players make their entrance to the movies, and i thought it was going to be a "love-story"? It gets there in some strange but very funny moves. Billy Crystal is the nice and funny person i like him to play. Debra Winger is the nice actress she is, but never becomes "Sally", although she sometimes looks even like her! The ups and downs of the movie keep it going where you don't expect it to go to. Overall i really liked the movie. No tearjerker movie or something like that. Just a solid romantic comedy like there are not so much of. Like i already said: I bit like "When Harry met Sally", still very nice. My vote 7/10

Forget Paris is admittedly a film carried almost entirely by Billy Crystal, but with such witty delivery, he's perfect. Having said that, the whole cast look to be having a ball and it really comes across on-screen. Rose-tinted views of Paris, alongside near slapstick sketches in the States, makes for a fast-paced tale that you can just sit back and enjoy.

Mickey (Crystal) travels to France to bury his father, only to find that the airline has accidentally sent the body to the wrong airport. Ellen (Winger) is the airline official sent to assure Mickey that everything possible is being done. Despite meeting under such an awkward situation, soon enough they are walking the streets of Paris together and romance blossoms. But with lives on different sides of the Atlantic, there are going to be a lot sacrifices...

And if the movie ever begins to feel as though it might be getting bogged down in the romance, it steps out to the "present day" restaurant scene where friends are sharing the story, each telling a different part and eager to find out what happened in the end.

An entertaining, funny and above all, charming story.

I know I did before making the mistake, years later now, of watching "Forget Paris" again. Excruciatingly unfunny and unpassionate, which is especially a problem given that it's a romantic comedy. I'm not sure whether Debra Winger does a bad acting job with her faux grinning at every bad joke Billy Crystal makes, or whether that's just me projecting, or she was playing her character as horny and so intentionally pretending to find his shrill schtick amusing. At least hire a joke writer if you're going to have him rattling them off one after another like that. Hard to believe this guy was a sketch comic and is considered the best Oscars host in recent memory. The Japanese in Godzilla movies, to paraphrase him, be all like.... How is that funny? And that's still better than the later gag of a police escort for his sperm, and don't forget to have the guys doing some supposedly manly sport--pool or whatever--when they're talking about their love lives. *Cough*Cliché*Cough*, to paraphrase another stupid joke in the movie.

Easily the worst basketball-adjacent rom-com until "Trainwreck" (2015) was made, and still this narrative comes as relief from the framing one of their story being told by their obsessively-involved-in-their-affairs friends. I usually like this sort of reflexive storytelling device of including storytellers within the story, but, wow, are they annoying. Cynthia Stevenson is the worst--constantly weeping over this junk, and she doesn't even know them. Y'know, she's supposed to be us; she's the surrogate in-film spectator being told the story. How insulting is that.

So, anyways, I hate this movie. There's no point to the basketball stuff except that it provides an audience for the inevitable grand romantic gesture. He could've had any other job that created conflict instead of an NBA referee, though. The opening bit where he makes the right call on a last-second shot in a game doesn't really matter. We don't need to be blown away by his supposed skill or integrity, especially as it's followed up by him respecting the wishes of his late father, who abandoned him as a child, to be buried in Paris. Again, such integrity, such character, right.

Paris looks ugly here, too--very dull and grey like the credits montage of black-and-white photographs. Post-wars Paris has become a tourist attraction and metonym for sex, a point that has been exploited in cinema since at least the silent films of Ernst Lubitsch (e.g. "So This Is Paris" (1926)). Another such film, "An American in Paris" (1951) is specifically referenced here. "Casablanca" (1942) is another, perhaps the most, famous one and seems to provide the counterpoint to the title here, i.e. "We'll always have Paris." And, by that, they meant they'd always have that cut-to-a-shot-of-a-lighthouse stand-in for a sex scene. Here, though, they "forget Paris," and so get married, begin complaining about never copulating, and he ends up masturbating with her on the other side of a closed door in an attempt to procreate. So This is New York. Woody Allen, who largely invented these modern neurotic New Yorker rom-coms by way of the likes of Nora Ephron dumbing them down ("When Harry Met Sally," e.g., which also starred Crystal lite-Woody), must be rolling over in his grave at that being done to the Big Apple, or to the City of Light.

I have genuinely loved this movie! I've seen it many times, I rewatch it every time I need something sweet to soothe my soul...realistic, romantic, funny! Plus...let's NOT forget Paris...seeing the beautiful city really adds up to the movie charm! If you ever come across this one and aren't sure if it's worth watching, I hope my review will help you to just leave everything aside and press 'play'! Beautiful romantic comedy!

I can see why Debra Winger went into a self-imposed exile after this tiresome 1995 studio product, as she looks ill-at-ease as a romantic comedy lead. Here is an accomplished actress who seizes roles with a palpable life force when she is in the right vehicle. However, Winger seems lost playing against the stand-up shenanigans of Billy Crystal, and consequently they never really connect in any believable way. Much of the blame has to be placed on Crystal, who not only starred but also directed and co-wrote the film with Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. He seems intent on doing a retread of "When Harry Met Sally" but this time following a seemingly incompatible couple through marital discord.

Crystal plays Mickey Gordon, an NBA referee who tries to abide by his estranged father's wishes to be buried in France. The airline has unfortunately lost the casket, and their Paris-based customer relations executive Ellen Andrews tries to correct things for Mickey. Of course, they fall in love since it is Paris, and they get married almost immediately. Complications ensue with Mickey on the road and Ellen unable to conceive a baby. The central conceit of the film is its framing device, a dinner where a group of their friends congregate and share their remembrances of Mickey and Ellen's courtship and marital problems. How they are able to relay such intimate details is never really addressed since it's a plotting contrivance we are supposed to accept.

The other problem is that Crystal is not really acting here but performing his comedy routine as Mickey. Many of his lines sound overly familiar with many of the jokes having a forced feeling, and the role is virtually interchangeable with his Harry from the earlier film. Nevertheless, there are some truly funny bits, such as the running gag with Ellen's senile father (played by a befuddled William Hickey) repeating road signs in the car and the scene with the pigeon getting stuck to the side of Ellen's head. But it's not nearly enough. A solid supporting cast has been assembled as the friends - Joe Mantegna, Julie Kavner (particularly funny), Richard Masur, Cathy Moriarty, John Spencer, Cynthia Stevenson - though they act more like a chorus to the proceedings. The inevitable ending feels hollow since the relationship never felt that resonant. Despite some attempts at serious moments during the second half, this is the type of lightweight film that doesn't linger too long in one's memory. The 2000 DVD has no extras.

Multi talented Billy Crystal directed and wrote the screen play with Lowell Ganz. This comedy has its sad moments but even in tragedy this movie can be very funny. The cast in superb. Mickey Gordon, played by Crystal is a referee (When Harry met Sally, The Princess Bride) who has to go to Paris because his father wanted to be buried in France. The airline mishandled the corpse of his father. By the way this is a Tort in the US he could have gotten a lot of money because of that. He then meets Ellen Andrews, Debra Winger (An Officer and a Gentlemen, Terms of Endearment) who works for the airline. The story is told in a very creative fashion using a group of friends which meets in a restaurant and each tells part of the story. It starts with one couple and more friends keep coming and they do not know whether Mickey and Elle will show up and whether they are still together. Nice story telling! Just look at the names: Joe Mantegna (Up Close & Personal) is Andy; Cynthia Stevenson is Liz, Richard Masur (none other than the director of SAG himself) is Craig; Julie Kavner (Jake's Women, This is my Life) is Lucy who is on diet; William Hickey (I) is Arthur; Robert Costanzo, is the witty waiter his very funny lines; John Spencer (I) is Jack; Tom Wright (I) is Tommy; Cathy Moriarty is Lois; Johnny Williams (I) is Lou. Then there are all the athletes one can come up with. The Lady who plays the organ is so stuffy and funny! She loves to live in Paris, but she has follow her husband who is always traveling. I have seem this happen to many people.They tried to compromise but it does not work at all. Her father comes to live with them and that created more tension. Funny lines: " you asked for it, you got it Toyota!".

My favorite scenes: them driving around Paris; the bird glued to her face; when she shows up at the game and at the restaurant. I liked the movie. The music is nice. It made me laugh. I recommend it, it is an enjoyable movie.