Newness

Movies like these don't come along very often. This is my third Doremus film (after Like Crazy and Equals) and while Equals probably remains on the top of my list, Newness comes in at a close second. Newness explores the dangers and thrills of online dating in an urban world, where distractions are easily found and easier to be pursued. In the midst of it all, Martin and Gabriela are trying to find their way as a couple. The movie's appeal comes from its splendid directing and cinematography, which was already outstanding in Equals. The wash of hues, the angles, everything fits like a glove and helps underline the vivid and thrilling nature of the movie's theme. It feels organic, authentic and vigorous, not least due to the unadulterated performances of its main cast - Nicholas Hoult and Laia Costa (who was already brilliant in Vicotria) have chemistry coming up the wazoo, it's almost ridiculous. This movie took me on an emotional roller coaster; it's definitely not for everyone. And it's not a perfect movie by any means. Watching this movie simply felt a bit like falling in love, which - in my book - always seems like a good thing.

This film isn't for everybody. If you are a millennial, or maybe older but open minded, or if you are just empathic enough, you will understand the feelings this film aims to pass. It's not about the characters promiscuity or dating apps relationships, it's about doubt and excitement and fear of loosing freedom, and that moment when you meet someone new and you are talking, flirting, it's very exciting, you are having a really good time and THEN if you decide to take one step forward, you have to face the baggage that person carries. Past, exes, fears, traumas.

That's something the older generations don't get, because back in time people used to date less and get married sooner. But for millennials, that's very relatable. People have dated other people, some times many other people. People have had sex with other people too. People have met other people's families - I could go on but you all already got it - and we have to deal with it. So that's why not everybody will understand.

I'm young and getting married soon. The story made me think a lot. I'm very sure of my decision on spending the rest of my life with my partner. Even knowing it's going to get boring eventually. Then we will figure it out. I'd never do what the characters do because I have different principles, but I totally understand their feelings.

Now, going back to the film. The actors were convincing. The way it was filmed was also particular. The camera wasn't steady, maybe purposefully to make it look like the videos we're used to see in social medias. Again, very close to younger generations. And about the end, I saw some people saying they don't like it, but this movie isn't about the end, it's about what they went through to get there. I wouldn't change a thing.

In my opinion, 6.4 doesn't do justice to this film, but, again, I can imagine people with different visions about life and relationships watching it and not getting it.

For a movie that has relationship written all over it in the "modern era" (that is with cell phones and apps to find "love"), this really could be called a modern day love story. So while you could compare it to "Love", this is not as explicit as that (though you will have some nudiy in this too), but gets more involved into the characters.

One set up shows closeness physically, but characters being as far apart as possible. It could have gone wrong, too cliche, but the symbolism of it really hits home (no pun intended). The movie generally has quite a few themes, with "newness" being one of them. The pleasure one has to enjoy that. But even with one character living in the past, the connection to "new" is still there. The other character may not want anything newer, but that plays into the theme too. Especially when things get mixed up.

The movie tries to analyze a bit and give us a look into the psyche, but it not a psychological study. You can read a couple of things into it, but it does try to stay in the drama department and the general flow of the movie. Good themes, good acting and a good script about a ... new sort of love story

I almost made the mistake of switching the movie off 15 minutes in. Thankfully I didn't. Laia Costa in a very emotional scene captivated me as she did for the whole movie and the story finally really began. Even though we get obvious unsubtle punches against facebook and tinder it is not really about these technologies because they are just that. They don't force us to do anything. It is about generation "swipe left if you are bored". It is about running away from conflict thus running away from real relationships. Relationships are messy. They always have been always will be. But what makes them deep the work you put in. The best quote of the movie nails it: "love is two people not giving up on each other" as I didn't give up on this movie 15 minutes in being rewarded at the end.

Nicholas Hoult and Laia Costa are very attractive young people compulsively using a dating app and having several minute stands. They match one night ... after each had already had a previously unsuccessful hook-up ... and meet for drinks, but hit it off so well that they don't just immediately have sex. Soon they are in a committed relationship, but familiarity creeps in and they conveniently cheat on each other on the same night. They realize that while they really do love each other, they are also really drawn to the rush of new relationships, so they decide to try an open relationship. Each is allowed to pursue other people as long as they are completely honest with each other?

So ... do you think that works out well for them?

This movie has some things going for it. Hoult and Costa are really quite good ... Costa especially ... and neither will disappoint in the film's numerous and quite explicit sex scenes. The style, impressionistic with very close, hand-held jittery cam, makes the early sequences pretty exciting, and the film goes quite some way towards recreating the rush of physical attraction and first love.

This relationship is not very interesting though. The really quite charming actors are not given characters that ever have much of interest to say, so it's tough to invest much in their relationship. Once the open relationship starts going south and Danny Huston enters the film, you're almost routing for the Huston/Costa pairing to prevail since he's actually given decent things to say. The film reaches a conclusion, but it's not a very compelling one since you don't really care about this couple and the issues that drove them into an open relationship are never really resolved anyway.