Paint It Black

"Paint it Black: A Novel" by Janet Fitch was the first book I ever read and fell in love with. I was 18 at the time so you could imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon this movie, which was released 10 years after the novel was published. I felt like the image I had in my head for these characters and the ones chosen for the roles were polar opposite. If you're looking to be moved, read the book. If you're looking for a short stale version of the book, watch the movie.

I couldn't stand this film. It was really slow. Full of melodrama. Overemotional. The plot seems to focus mainly on an accusatory mother who thinks that the girlfriend has had a detrimental effect upon the young man who killed himself. I find the exchange unconvincing and histrionic. I just think for God's sakes get over it. Plus I don't think it's an accurate reflection of real grief in the slightest. Pitiful tears gushing don't convince me that somebody is grieving. Grief looks completely different. You can tell they don't really know anybody who's been through real grief. So I just find the syrupy emotionalism quite unpleasant to watch. And the idea of the evil stepmother sort of thing in the background having a go at the young girlfriend wasn't terribly interesting. I'm difficult to impress when it comes to emotional realism. But I suppose it's a decent attempt if that's their first go at making a film, but it wasn't impressive for me at all. In particular the emotional portrayal of grief. I'd say the vast majority of the population don't know what grief looks like, so this will go unnoticed and they will think it looks convincing. But to anyone who knows what grief looks like this will be unconvincing.

So basically two women having a go at each other for 1.5hrs. Interspersed with few flashbacks to time with the boyfriend. I find it all very tedious. And I couldn't care less about these two women.

I went into this movie knowing it's plot being about the difficulties of losing a loved one, but what I couldn't believe was how anti- feminist it seemed.

Starring great actresses like Alia Shawkat and Janet McTeer, who did some fantastic jobs in their roles, this movie is centralized on their female characters and their obsession with their men. They never seem to stray away from the concept that their lives are solely based on men. I never found a single moment in the movie where two women ever spoke of anything besides men, and how important men are to them. When the women lose their man, weather their boyfriend or son, everything is just gone. At the same time, the father of the son is saddened by the loss of his son, but it doesn't take away from his own life, and he seems to go on easily.

This is the first time I've seen a movie based on mostly female lead characters that fails the Bechdel test. Their lack of personal lives made me feel little for those characters. Even with the wild cinematography and great performances, I couldn't help but want to yell at the screen that the women in this movie are more than just the men in their lives, but the moment it looks towards that direction, the movie is over.

Not one that I was happy with. Perhaps I should have just gone to see Wonder Woman.

This is one of the best movies I have seen!

It is very artistic and captivating with a beautiful dark atmosphere. It is deep and real in the way it display emotions.

Many movies about love seems so fake and cliché, not this one. But I think you must have experienced true love to appreciate how good Paint It Black portrays the devastation of suddenly losing it.

The soundtrack adds a lot to enhance the melancholy emotions, together with dreamy color filters and professional cinematography.

I give Paint It Black 10/10