I enjoyed this movie on its face and found myself wanting to watch it again upon its conclusion, which very rarely is true for me. Most movies, including the ones I consider amazing, require the passage of several years before I might entertain the idea of watching them again. This was different, and will perhaps be better understood once you have seen the movie. It's like a puzzle I want to put back together on my own.
***SPOILERS*** Part of what I found most wonderful about this movie was that I was able to walk away from it not really considering ANY of the four major characters as "the heavy." Also, some preconceived ideas I had did not come to pass. For example:
MATT: Throughout the film you see him balancing his value system against his desires, sometimes successfully, sometimes not, but I got a sense that this guy wanted terribly to do the right things. Matt's going to see the play with Luke just because it mattered so much TO Luke is but one example
LISA: Didn't want to like her, didn't want to understand why Matt's feelings for her were as strong as they were. I had believed it would just be a sexual pull she exerted on Matt & this was not the case--I got it.
Luke: Played appropriately in places as almost shallow & buffoonish, I still got a sense that this guy was a truly good person & despite his fumbling hipness, he really wanted to be a great friend and to care about someone at a much deeper level than it appeared at first glance. I liked his forgiveness of Matt for having been out of touch for 2 years.
ALEX: Her conflict throughout the movie could have played well to her ultimately being labeled a psycho, but I felt great empathy for her (especially toward the end of the movie) at having been caught up in an emotional roller-coaster that drove her decisions throughout the movie. In one of the final scenes where she confesses her sins, so to speak, to Lisa, I felt especially rewarded that she was so much more than just a lunatic--and was, indeed, NOT crazy-- and that the character was an Anybody who could have been caught up on the thorns of an overwhelming desire.
Also, I enjoyed the friendship between Matt & Luke and how it remained intact and viable throughout the film. I think Matt's losing touch with Luke for 2 years was also symbolic of his having lost touch with himself.
And the final scene between Matt & Lisa was satisfying to me--I REALLY wanted them to find each other again, and the emotional elements of this moment in the characters' lives was depicted beautifully.
Finally, what a painfully lovely moment with Rebecca, when Matt is telling her what has happened, and what has been true for him since he thought he'd lost Lisa, when she said (and I'm DEFINITELY paraphrasing),"You want me to...know WHAT? That I'm not the girl who can break your heart?"
Haven't we all felt THAT before?
***SPOILERS*** Part of what I found most wonderful about this movie was that I was able to walk away from it not really considering ANY of the four major characters as "the heavy." Also, some preconceived ideas I had did not come to pass. For example:
MATT: Throughout the film you see him balancing his value system against his desires, sometimes successfully, sometimes not, but I got a sense that this guy wanted terribly to do the right things. Matt's going to see the play with Luke just because it mattered so much TO Luke is but one example
LISA: Didn't want to like her, didn't want to understand why Matt's feelings for her were as strong as they were. I had believed it would just be a sexual pull she exerted on Matt & this was not the case--I got it.
Luke: Played appropriately in places as almost shallow & buffoonish, I still got a sense that this guy was a truly good person & despite his fumbling hipness, he really wanted to be a great friend and to care about someone at a much deeper level than it appeared at first glance. I liked his forgiveness of Matt for having been out of touch for 2 years.
ALEX: Her conflict throughout the movie could have played well to her ultimately being labeled a psycho, but I felt great empathy for her (especially toward the end of the movie) at having been caught up in an emotional roller-coaster that drove her decisions throughout the movie. In one of the final scenes where she confesses her sins, so to speak, to Lisa, I felt especially rewarded that she was so much more than just a lunatic--and was, indeed, NOT crazy-- and that the character was an Anybody who could have been caught up on the thorns of an overwhelming desire.
Also, I enjoyed the friendship between Matt & Luke and how it remained intact and viable throughout the film. I think Matt's losing touch with Luke for 2 years was also symbolic of his having lost touch with himself.
And the final scene between Matt & Lisa was satisfying to me--I REALLY wanted them to find each other again, and the emotional elements of this moment in the characters' lives was depicted beautifully.
Finally, what a painfully lovely moment with Rebecca, when Matt is telling her what has happened, and what has been true for him since he thought he'd lost Lisa, when she said (and I'm DEFINITELY paraphrasing),"You want me to...know WHAT? That I'm not the girl who can break your heart?"
Haven't we all felt THAT before?