I watched this movie with no expectations. All I knew about it was that it had Colin Farrell in it and it was based on a book by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, Michael Cunningham. I had not read the book, did not know the story line and, in effect, had never heard of it before...
And I was hugely delighted by it! I really enjoyed its subtle tone, presenting the story in a way that did not force an opinion on you.
Farrell's acting also took me by surprise. I had not considered him particularly skilled, but I must confess I don't think I have seen many of his other films. However, the fragile innocence of 'Bobby' was remarkable. I really felt moved by his care-free attitude masking a lurking depression and need to be loved. This was all captured beautifully by Farrell.
Robin Wright Penn, similarly, superbly portrays the plight of a 20-something looking for a life that suits her, with all the joy, sex, doubt, and sadness that comes with being in love with her gay best friend.
Without giving too much away, one thing that I am unresolved about within myself, is the way that the sadder events are handled. There is a lot of tragedy in the life of these characters. However, we are exposed to it all through a gentle filter, I felt like I should be crying from all the dramatic turns in the story, but on the movie went, as on life goes. I was moved, but not to tears as I expect I would have been if these elements were forced upon the audience in a more heavy-handed way. I am unsure how I feel about this because I feel like I should have been more upset and empathise with the characters more, but at the same time I thought it was admirable that I could watch a movie that dealt with some of the sorer points of life without leaving me feeling wrecked with grief and despair at the world.
I highly recommend this film to people, and look forward to the day it becomes part of my personal movie collection.
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