I will not be active for about a week and a half after this one review. In fact Juggers, am coming to your gaon, which is incidentally my gaon too, Nagpur. So a small bye for now, and will be back with you fine people before ya even miss me (on the rare eventuality that that will happen). Now, to the review:
I saw this movie by fluke. I didn?t notice it when it hit the theatres and never thought that I had missed much. Which is perhaps true in a way as this is not a theatre movie. This is a movie to be watched when you are home alone and better if you are slightly depressed.
Since this is my state in life all the time, this movie sure hit a spot. For starters this is not a movie for everyone. If your favorite movie in the whole wide world is ?Sleepless in Seattle?, or ?Pretty Woman?, or any other Meg Ryan romantic creation, then this movie is not for you. On the other hand if you cant stop raving about ?American Beauty?, or ?Requiem for a Dream?, then this will be a worthwhile watch.
Though it is perhaps not as dramatic as both the movies I mentioned, it is definitely a very intense film noir. The story is simple as it is convoluted. It is about the life of a woman named Justine (Jennifer Aniston), who works as a salesgirl for cosmetics in the local retail shop. She is married and not very happy with the marriage. At the start of the movie we are introduced to her life in her own words. We can see the cloak of depression that has fallen over her life and the horrible monotony of her job. This is the part where the director has excelled.
You can literally feel the claustrophobia of her situation and the gloom is all consuming. We look on, as things start happening in her life. A new employee Holden joins the store and there is an immediate connection between the two. Both are depressed and tired and both find solace in each other. The role of this melancholy boy who aspires to be a writer is played with finesse by Jake Gyllenhal. We become a part of Justine?s life as she discovers friendship and then finally love in his arms. Justine then battles with the fact that she is an adulteress and a liar and the rest of the movie is about how this changes and affects her life.
The movie is slick in its own way. It has a look and feel about it that is consistent throughout the movie and which can touch a chord within you if you know what its like to despair and be in anguish. The story is well handled and treated with a sort of respect you may not expect. The story and the movie are both very real life and in a sense refreshing, as escapist cinema has actually become a big rage.
The performances are creditable and Aniston shows a side of her that we never knew existed. Gone is the ditsy, spoilt girl from New York that we so love in Friends and we are suddenly subjected to a very subdued and layered performance. She plays a very normal, middle class American wife, complete with the no make-up, baggy overalls et al.
For the first time I noticed that she expresses almost completely with her eyes. They are the medium through which this movie lives. The emptiness of her life, the hatred for all the people, the guilt she feels about her affair, the desperation when she offers Holden poisonous fruit, the grit and decisiveness she ultimately shows, all these emotions live through her eyes.
Holden?s character could have been etched better but still manages to evoke pity from the audience. We understand his mental instability and his despair over no one understanding him and begin to like him for his unwavering yet desperate love for Justine. Justine?s husband Phil (John C. Reilly) and his best friend Bubba (Tim Blake Nelson) are brilliant as supporting characters. They are potheads whose life revolves around marijuana and paint. There is depth in these two characters as well and the director has handled their complication with as much care as he has Justine?s complex life.
The cinematography is above average but can be too gloomy. The editing is perfect and the movie holds together very well with no drag in pace. The soundtrack is almost non-existent. There is minimal background music, though the guitar strains that are used are effective. The dialogue is good but not great. A few clichés are present here and there and can be annoying.
This movie just cannot appeal to everyone. It is just not for people who love movies about fairytales and true love and knights in shining armor. This is for those who understand the despair hidden in every life. Those who know that you just have to scratch the surface and there all the darkness lies and especially those who don?t mind their cinema to be real. This is definitely not a date movie and not a movie to be seen on joyous occasions. It is also not as brilliant as ?American Beauty?.
All in all it?s a good watch when you are in the mood for contemplative movies. Do not in any case blame me if you don?t like it, my review is pretty explicit. Thanks for reading and do comment, it?s the one way I know whether what I write is of an acceptable level. Will see ya?ll in two weeks. Take care and keep writing.
Aditi