The chemistry between leads is crucial to a romantic movie.
I like to see love, I like to see people falling in love, I like the flirtation, the confusion, and the peril of not being together.
Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts have amazing chemistry.
To enliven this chemistry the rest of the pieces fall into place beautifully. The sequence of being without her and how it shows that time passing is dazzling.
The entire film is quietly dazzling.
The Substance is loud and the cinematic equivalent of grabbing you by the face and forcing you to look at it.
At the same time it is carefully and thoughtfully constructed and profoundly meaningful if you’ve ever been ashamed to properly look at yourself.
It’s air horn volume doesn’t discombobulate you it stirs you.
As the narrative culminates I felt as though I was suffocating as the rhythm in my breathing caught hitch after hitch and I had to remember to properly inhale and exhale.
A deeply intimate tale that immerses you in two worlds.
Very well constructed and I enjoyed the ending thoroughly but found myself enjoying the pace/ structure more then the more visceral aspects like character, plot, and theme.
How the film escalates the situation is excellent though.
