This movie comes alive in the details and dies in the structure.
What I hated: It should have focused more on Rio before the two (2!!!) TWO !! time jumps. Why???? Nothing is gained and honestly kills the vibe. This movie should have ended when she pulls out of their driveway for the last time, signifying his death and the devastating truth that life must go on. But instead it drags on and on for another half an hour with…
Contains many, many spoilers !
Whether or not you like the movie’s message is irrelevant. It’s a brilliantly structured movie that introduces timely themes and critiques about masculinity in modern America (modern, meaning 1999).
We’re introduced to The Narrator: a depressed insomniac who feels dead inside. To help this feeling, and to feel something, he attends numerous support groups filled with people who are actually dying. One of those groups is the testicular cancer support group, which The Narrator feels…
I struggled with this movie because I really really wanted to love it, but I just didn’t. It felt too tidy. It’s a beautiful idea of a jury, but I really struggle with movies where everything goes just as it should. High school Lua would have absolutely fucked with “this is what America should be” shit. Disillusioned Lua knows better.
Don’t get me wrong. Some parts of the movie were excellent. I was engaged the whole time. I stayed…
