I have wrestled with whether to trash this movie for Gallo's or to recognize that I don't hate it and that it has an odd sweetness in Layla (Ricci)'s and Billy (Gallo)'s relationship. It doesn't make a bit of sense to me. He is abusive to her. She seems like a sweet girl without the sort of emotional hangups to tolerate the abuse of someone like Billy. Billy is a horrible person- egotistical and abusive. The script, to me, doesn't make a plausible case that Layla would stay with Billy. We don't know enough of her background to believe that she would tolerate such abuse and bad treatment. He kidnaps her. He berates her for being TOO good at giving a good impression of him. He is jealous of her involvement with guys before she'd even met him. Why she stays with him is a bit of a mystery. This is one of the major shortcomings of the movie. It's hard to believe that someone would tolerate such unsolicited treatment. If we knew a bit more about her background, we might find her acceptance of him more understandable.
All that said however, for whatever reason, she does stay with him and there is the suggestion of love at the end of the movie. This makes the movie magical and really a little sentimental. It's ultimately a love story for hipsters.
I can't trash this movie because I'm not cynical enough to do that. It is a sweet movie at heart and it is as though Gallo dares us to not like Billy. Well, I don't like him, but if someone does, then I wish he and the girl all the luck in the world.
All that said however, for whatever reason, she does stay with him and there is the suggestion of love at the end of the movie. This makes the movie magical and really a little sentimental. It's ultimately a love story for hipsters.
I can't trash this movie because I'm not cynical enough to do that. It is a sweet movie at heart and it is as though Gallo dares us to not like Billy. Well, I don't like him, but if someone does, then I wish he and the girl all the luck in the world.