Watched on Saturday October 29, 2022.

Super uneven. Some very cute parts. Several not cute parts. It wants to be a deep and thoughtful will-they-won’t-they romance, but also a cheesy Netflick with canned sfx gasps and an “and everyone clapped” moment.

When we watched the Dear Evan Hansen movie, I thought a lot about how hard it is to write a character that straddles the line between cringey-but-lovable weirdo and sociopathic weirdo. Evan Hansen is a sociopathic weirdo with very few redeeming qualities or reasons to root for him, Ben Platt’s dulcet tones be damned. So it’s hard to watch a film when you don’t buy the lead role. Or in The Half of It, the supporting role. Paul is a moron. Not really a likable moron. Just a moron.

Maybe I’m being hard on him. I thought Daniel Diemer did fine with the cards he was dealt. Actually all the actors were fine, with Leah Lewis really bringing it. But the writing does Diemer’s character especially dirty. Maybe in a dumber high school film his character would shine more. But this is a film that quotes Sartre and Camus, and features a classic film geek dad, rich set design and legitimately gorgeous shot composition. Ellie sets a bar for romancing Aster that Paul could never meet, and the film’s production design sets a bar for quality that the writing could never meet.

Watched on Wednesday October 12, 2022.

This review may contain spoilers.

Feels like it’s gearing up to be a cautionary tale but then isn’t. Fully expected Karol Karol’s luck to abruptly faceplant again. Maybe the fact that it didn’t is a cautionary tale itself? That manipulative, scorned men who hold grudges for years often hold power in the world? I dunno, but everyone else is right, could’ve gone with more Julie Delpy. And more Mikołaj! Just give me a movie with them.

I need to rehydrate.

Lots of movies have come out in the past decade that deal with our aging parents and grandparents, but I think this one hit me the hardest. Things will change.

Was pleasantly surprised to see Disasterpeace did the music. The Fez soundtrack was really formative for me. I wonder if that’s part of why I connected with this so much.

🌸

olympus xa, kodak max 400

Watched on Monday October 3, 2022.