No Stranger Than Love

I was kinda hyped to this one. It felt like the right when I first heard of it. The cast, the posters, the trailer, even the mysterious plot about a hole that just appears in the middle of the living room of some girl and swallows her boyfriend. I was sold, I wasn't expecting for nothing like a runner-up to the award season, but I was sold to a little indie funny and cute rom-com.

Well, high expectations has its downsides... The shitty thing, I can't be apologetic towards this movie... I tried hard to like it, but the movie wasn't able to hit the right nerve in no moment, and dude, I watch movies with an open heart...

The movie doesn't actually delivers any of the expected cuteness, comedy or quirkiness of the story that actually sounds lovely, funny and pretty intriguing. The cast, mostly Brie and Chatwin, as protagonist, aren't able to work all they can, and proved in previous works, 'cause the characters are pretty much flat, even more when the expositional dialogue tries to state the opposite. The supporting characters, unfortunately, are as much as shallow.

The movie does not tackle none of the big points it brings. It feels pretty much like the writer Steve Adams just had a good idea to a movie, but wasn't able to put it in the right way in the script, and the director Nick Wernham, in his feature directorial debut, just stuck with it 'cause it was what he had.

The movie failed to be one fine rom-com, and turns out just as a silly cautionary tale, that waste the chance to make great statements, about art, love, sex, fidelity, and people.

It's a pity the hole has no closure. This story is a bit quirky, moves to being satirical but in the end is quite simply sweet. Well cast, reasonably delivered and fun to watch. Worth taking a chance on.

Characters are filled out making No Stranger Thank Love a surprisingly useful movie. When faced with ethical decisions on love and romance poor choices can lead people in real life to fall into a 'hole' which all of us are familiar with. As often casualties of love do need a lifeline to crawl out of their hole. During this process Colin Hanks is Suspended in a black inter-dimensional hole one of the main characters said, without any distractions I have a new sense of clarity. You may think to yourself this is a corny story line but don't dismiss it too quickly. When Colin's character, Coach Clint Coburn is faced with multiple consequences that would impact his world he is forced to admit his love for his wife. What are your thoughts on sensory deprivation leading to a new sense of clarity?

As Lucy Sherrington says "You think about doing something and it's always different than what you thought". I believe that phrase is key to what Director: Nick Wernham is bringing to light in this lite hearted comedy with a message.

The plot revolves around Lucy Sherrington - the high school art teacher - and the numerous men in this quiet idealized American small town, who have convinced themselves that each is the perfect lover for her. Lucy does not share the interest in their enthusiasm and when she finally gives into Clint - the high school coach - it's a disaster for her and him. In doing this the coach descends into a state of abstraction.

Then into Lucy's life walks the stranger Rydell, who is in that small town to do something that is completely contrary to his nature, but his family expects him to do it. Rydell is the only man to enter into Lucy's life that actually has some level of self awareness because he opens his true thoughts to Lucy and explains to her how he feels about his own life.

When the town discovers what has happened to Clint they all gather together in friendship to bring the coach back into reality. Lucy makes a public confession and Rydell's brothers arrive to take him home. Rydell decides he must be true to himself and abandons his rather hateful brothers and goes to find Lucy.

Throughout this film Clints state of abstraction is symbolized by a bottomless hole in Lucy's living room. When the hole is discovered everyone has a different interpretation to it's meaning. At movies end we see Lucy and Rydell standing before another hole but this hole is a natural formation on the earth and at cliff's edge they stand. Rydell has obviously fallen in love with Lucy but we are left not knowing if Lucy feels the same for Rydell. Lucy now faces her own state of abstraction as symbolized by the vast opening beyond the cliff. There is a difference between Clint's mysterious undefinable abstraction and Lucy's highly defined state of abstraction.

This is a fine movie for the thinking viewer!

This is not going to be to everyone's taste, but still, I am a bit taken aback by the low rating it has. It certainly is different, but I found it quietly charming and enchanting.

People all have their own ideas when it comes to love, but Love with a capital L is far more elusive and can slip through our grasp without us even knowing it.

The men in the village chase after their "ideal" love in the form of Alison Brie. She, it turn loves none of them, not even the coach who finally breaks down her resistance and falls into a hole in her living room for his trouble.

Meanwhile a mysterious stranger arrives to further muddy the waters.

The dialogue is quirky and amusing and adds to the enjoyment.