Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
I’m going to have to check this one out. The almost-uniformly ecstatic responses from those who have seen it have finally convinced me to seek it out. It sounds like quite a debut for Miranda July.
Hey Harry
I wrote this awhile back before all the Cannes awards in my own personal write-up on Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival, but never sent it in because I didn't think it would get posted. Now that Capone's review of the film has been posted, I thought I'd back it up because Miranda July's film is worthy of any good word of mouth it can get.
"Which brings me to Me and You and Everyone We Know. I knew absolutely nothing about this film before it started other than that Ebert knew absolutely nothing about it before he saw it this year at Sundance. He ended up feeling it was the best film he saw at that festival and I had the same feeling about it at this festival. It’s a movie that boldly announces a new talent in writer/director/actress Miranda July, whom I sincerely feel has the potential to become a 21st century Woody Allen.
I have to admit that during the first ten minutes I was a bit worried that Me and You and Everyone We Know would be yet another independent feature in which I would have to indulge the filmmaker as their characters wax philosophically on the meaning of life. Indeed one of the film’s opening scenes involves a character lighting his hand on fire in front of his children because he feels out of touch with life. Thankfully, July gets over this impulse early on and the more I spent time with the characters of Me and You and Everyone We Know, the more I grew to love them.
What I loved most about this movie is how innocent it is. There’s no cynicism or snickering at the expense of the characters here, something all too common in independent features. July seems to genuinely love each and every one of her creations. When the movie is funny, it is genuinely funny. When its characters are frustrated, it empathizes.
There are scenes in Me and You and Everyone We Know where children and adolescents are exposed to or engage in sexual activity that have the potential to exploit or offend, but don’t. The genius of July in these scenes is that the innocence of her characters is preserved, not lost. A scene in which a six year old ventures into a cyber sex chat ends up being one of the funniest scenes in the film because he reacts as any six year old would. It is not he that is exploited, but the person on the other end of the chat.
After the film I wanted to watch it again, right away, so during the post-film discussion I asked Ms. July if I could. I knew the answer would be “no” before I asked, but I had to try anyway. Me and You and Everyone We Know will open in late June and it’s now one of my most anticipated summer releases."
I've also got a reaction to Murderball in the same write-up. If you're interested, I'll sent that in as well.
Call me Sydney Carton.
Thanks, man. Nice review. I’d certainly be interested in the MURDERBALL piece, too.
"Moriarty" out.
