This film is my college experience distilled. Andre values a quasi-Zen, ecstatic view of life, full of art and impulse. He cynically looks at mankind, b/c we've only become creatures of habit who fit into predesignated roles. On the other hand, Wally is practical. He needs money. He likes a good cup of coffee, a good book, and his wife. He doesn't feel the need to shake up his normal, boring life with these mystical adventures (which might only be indulgences of the rich.) Some of their thoughts I myself have had (mentally and outwardly) almost verbatim.
The film features only two people talking for two hours, but for the first fourth of the film, they kinda cheat: Andre's stories are so vivid, they open up stories within the film, so it's not just people chatting at a table. And they describe so much about their home life that we feel we know their lives completely, though we've only watched one conversation. Cheating or clever, IDK. Definitely a smart move to keep the wide audience interested.
I love that this film exists. I love there's a film brave enough to only feature people talking. Good dialogue, and a camera that steadily watches people's gestures and expressions, never ceases to fascinate me. It's the reason why I love Cassavetes, VonTrier, and some of Bergman's films (esp. AUTUMN SONATA.) Here are filmmakers who only need human beings to make a riveting experience, not plot, not tricky timelines, not flashy camera moves, not SPFX, not any shocking crime, violence, or sex. Just people. The film is so cynical about society, and yet its existence provides a kind of hope.
An arrow to my heart, this film.
The film features only two people talking for two hours, but for the first fourth of the film, they kinda cheat: Andre's stories are so vivid, they open up stories within the film, so it's not just people chatting at a table. And they describe so much about their home life that we feel we know their lives completely, though we've only watched one conversation. Cheating or clever, IDK. Definitely a smart move to keep the wide audience interested.
I love that this film exists. I love there's a film brave enough to only feature people talking. Good dialogue, and a camera that steadily watches people's gestures and expressions, never ceases to fascinate me. It's the reason why I love Cassavetes, VonTrier, and some of Bergman's films (esp. AUTUMN SONATA.) Here are filmmakers who only need human beings to make a riveting experience, not plot, not tricky timelines, not flashy camera moves, not SPFX, not any shocking crime, violence, or sex. Just people. The film is so cynical about society, and yet its existence provides a kind of hope.
An arrow to my heart, this film.
