Die Kunst des Liebens

Ok, it's a romantic comedy and we shouldn't expect much of it. But, come on, there are so many clichés and it is so far from real life that it is difficult to follow this. There are some good sentences and Huston and Marlin are good actors. But the whole thing is completely dischargable.

Told within the setting of the subculture of the art world, this film uses the standard RomCom formula to unfold its story. All the elements of that well-defined genre are present in this film -- the only deviation from the normal course of development is the way the preexisting relationship ends.

This would have been a great, entertaining film if it where not for the fact that it was an entirely white cast. No black characters at all. Not one. Just a few seconds (literally seconds) of black background extras and most of them were partially obscured. If this were the 1950's that might be expected, but in the 21st century it's an inexcusable racial bias that totally ruined this film.

The film opens with the protagonist doing voice-over talking about bee colony collapse syndrome. Although the subject is referred to later on with respect to the male lead's art, I have no idea what bee colony collapse has to do with this film. It's obviously some kind of metaphor but I have no idea what it means -- perhaps something to do with the birds and the bees? In any case it was not made clear in the film, at least not to me.

One noticeable aspect about the relationship between the protagonists was how subtly manipulative they were. Both of them were deceitful towards each other, pretending to be something they weren't or pretending not to know what they did know in order to get what they wanted -- and each of them used subtle extortion to hook the other into the new relationship. And as these two were pulling each other's chain, a subplot about the underhanded development of the guy's art career was unfolding. I suppose it's fitting that the story is set in the art world, possibly the most pretentious subculture on the planet (second only to film critics, of course!).

Technically, the film was very good. The cinematography was great, the score was excellent, and the acting was pretty good. The dialogue was not as simple-minded as you find in a typical RomCom, and character/plot development was relatively smooth. The humor was not a laugh-out-loud type of humor, but more of a witty, entertaining type of humor. But that racial bias in the cast -- that really sunk the film. I would have given it a rating of 8, but because of the racial bias, it gets a 6.

Advisory: textual content ~180 wpm, racial bias in the composition of the cast.

Rating: 6/10, (submitted July 28, 2020, 9:30 p.m. EDT)

The Pandora express.. very soothing style of storytelling, the story is simple (kind of) but I felt it to be beautifully told..

A misunderstanding starts the story through which the protagonist starts to receive what he thought he always wanted.. by the end of the story he got what he never knew he was missing..

I felt the film explores the idea of ambitions and desires, how these contradict but either doesn't necessarily be a bad thing and how they amends with time and become something different..

The music is beautiful. The acting is ordinary. It has a happy ending.

A certain secondary character felt neglected by the film.

Ignoring that and considering it's just 93mins it is most definitely worth a watch.

I recommend it for people of all age groups. Thumbs Up,

The film is a quirky romantic comedy that follows a struggling artist named Liam Price, played by Jack Huston. After a failed exhibit and some misunderstandings, people mistakenly believe he has died, leading to a newfound fame that he never really wanted. Enter a charismatic art dealer, played by the talented Britt Robertson, who is determined to capitalize on Liam's accidental notoriety.

What I loved about Posthumous is its exploration of the fickle nature of fame, especially in the art world. Wang's storytelling shines through with sharp wit and a good dose of humor, making it an entertaining watch. The scenes in Berlin give the film a vibrant backdrop, beautifully contrasting Liam's internal struggles with the lively city around him. The chemistry between Liam and his love interest adds a nice layer to the plot, making you root for their connection while Liam learns to navigate his unexpected fame. The writing is clever, and there are some genuinely hilarious moments sprinkled throughout.

While the film may not have the depth of The Farewell, it still captures Lulu Wang's knack for weaving cultural themes and personal growth into her narratives.

I loved this movie. I think that it is very under rated. I loved the characters. Jack Houston as Liam and Brit Marling as McKenzie were complex and great together. I loved Jack Houston as a leading man. I found that i wanted to watch it again as soon as it was over.

It is a simple romantic story, but not predictable. It is not the most original story. A tortured artist. A reporter personally involved in the story. But it didn't feel old. It felt new. I liked the pace at which this story was told. It allowed me to fall in love with both characters.

I loved the music in this movie. It matched the feeling and the vibe perfectly.

I have not seen either of these actors before, but i will be looking for them both now.

Overall, i just thought it was very well done.