Life Between Films

Last week, I decided to forgo seeing Carnage (which hasn’t been getting the best of reviews) and see two others films. I made my way to the theaters to see Young Adult based on a friend’s recommendation, and early Saturday morning I found that Perfect Sense, a Sundance indie I had been waiting for to hit the theaters, was newly On Demand. 

Do see: Perfect Sense (starring Ewan McGregor) - It really is not an understatement to say that this was probably one of the heaviest movies I have ever seen (that doesn’t have to do with race relations) but it was one of those you see and it gives you an appreciation of life, love, and everything in between. From the trailer you may note parallels to last year’s Contagion, but there are enough differences to set this 2011 Sundance film apart.  Yes, we have a virus that has uncontrollable spreads through the world’s population, but here its one that directly affects mood and more importantly, progressively causes the lost of the senses, something we don’t realize we take for granted everyday. Every wave of the disease exacerbates an emotion and then wipes away a sense. At every step, the world tries to adjust to cope but is crippled again. Amist all of this chaos, the story follows two people, a chef and an epidemiologist, who find each other and a blossoming love as the world and the people in it are falling apart around them. I honestly did not begin to like the film until halfway through until the main characters began to show their vulnerabilities and I began to share in them but once it got a hold of me, I wholeheartedly felt for the characters involved and came to appreciate the social commentary of it all. Currently On Demand, in theaters early February.  

Do see: Young Adult (starring Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson) - I didn’t love this latest film from screenwriter-director team of Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman (Juno) as some others I know did but I did like it. I did get the charm and humor in this story of an aged mean girl stuck in the past and out to relive her high school glory days which includes getting her happily married, high school boyfriend back. It’s a cautionary tale for those who peak too early and whose happiness hinges on delusions of grandeur. I did think this movie had a great ending that matched the tone of the film, but I won’t spoil it for you.