Like You Mean It

A delicate theme just well explored. Sensitive subjects , from the stress about future to the complicated lines of relationship are wise used , exposed, explored in beautiful manner.

The shadow of madness as presence and the great cinematography are two good points of this film who not desires to impress but proposing a fair, honest tone about ordinary pressures and the answers to them.

The acting can be defined as key of this special drama for the slow story, for the reflection moments, for the way to reflect crisis , for the simplicity and gentle pieces defining the characters. A story who has so many chances to be perceived as a personal one.

Sometimes hard to watch, with the subject matter of someone who may or may not be helped by taking (or not taking) wellbutrin, or other antidepressants. Or maybe the dosage wasn't right. It was a good depiction of the on again off again success of any meds, or dose. About halfway through, the guy on the meds owns the poor communication and the effect his actions are having on their relationship. His partner seems to be willing to wait things out, and to attend the therapy sessions. I really liked when the therapist asked them if they were looking to get into the relationship, or out of the relationship. Nice bottom line! A couple of reviewers have written that they aren't happy with the ending, but I think it summed up a real life situation. Another reviewer mentioned that they didn't see the point of showing their straight friends "timeout" relationship. But i think it was important to show the two main characters' reactions to what their friends were doing.... it kind of told us where they might stand on things. Good acting, if difficult to watch a couple going through really rough times.

This is a good film. On the surface it is about a gay couple struggling to stay together, but it is actually about one-half of this couple.

Mark, played by LIKE YOU MEAN IT'S writer/director, Philipp Karner, doesn't merely have difficulty committing, he has increasing difficulty communicating with anyone. His character is interesting, especially in that, as a professional actor, auditioning generally for voice-over assignments, he must use a wide variety of voices. That English is not his native language, and though he has mastered an infinite variety of American accents, he is finding himself unable to continue.

Jonah, his boyfriend, played by Denver Milord, is a struggling musician. What is very subtle about this movie is that it shows us typical tensions a gay couple experiences but demonstrates a unique element: Post-traumatic stress disorder. Jonah, an intelligent man, is helpless to reach Mark, whose relationship to his estranged father is the backdrop to this couple's crisis.

It is well-acted and photographed, and unlike a lot of movies which have entertainers as main characters, it shows what they do. We see that Mark isn't just an actor down on his luck. We see him auditioning and we realize he's good. When Jonah sings to Mark one night, at Mark's request, we are shown that he is good and that he is doing the sort of music heard today. This adds to the realism.

LIKE IT IS is as thoughtful as any story by John Updike or Joyce Carol Oates. The short story may be the form which has most influenced this film. In my view, that is a plus.

I've been giving this film a bit of thought since I saw it last week. Like You Mean It is a subtle, interesting film and I definitely recommend that you see it. Philipp Karner, writes, directs and plays the lead role in a slice-of-life about a gay couple whose relationship is put under the microscope as frustrated actor Mark starts to withdraw from intimacy, leaving his long-suffering boyfriend confused and hurt. The script is naturalistic with some sparkling, well-observed dialogue and strong performances from the actors, particularly in the cameo parts. The film is lovingly crafted and the use of audio to create ambiance and a sense of space is outstanding. The narrative pace is nicely judged and is punctuated by scenes of Mark driving around his home town, alternately attempting to save and sabotage his relationship, all the while ignoring calls from his sister back in Austria. The niggling flaw with the film is what gets left unsaid. There are hints of past medical issues, there are hints that Mark's relationship with his family is problematic but none of this is called out explicitly. When the resolution comes we're left unsatisfied and wondering why. Like Mark, the director is holding out on his audience, and while on the whole the unfolding tale is subtly and elegantly told it just falls short of creating sufficient motive to explain his character's actions. That said the film is an absorbing 90 minute window onto the world of a struggling couple, raises some interesting questions about how we undermine ourselves and is elegantly sketched. I'll definitely be looking out for more from Philipp Karner.

This film has some components of a good film -- romantic relationship facing some challenges, overall good acting, an international aspect with German dialog, great production quality, and enough plot to explore the potential impact of life events on the main characters -- so I was surprised that it left me dissatisfied most of the way through the film. The main character, Mark, remains virtually emotionless throughout, with the exception of a mental/emotional collapse in one scene. He remains an impervious handsome lead we're hoping might become human. His partner Jonah expresses more emotion, and we have more of a sense of his character and longings. But the script fails to develop these two characters, instead indulging in scenes of sexual imagery and intimacy to seduce its viewers.

Mark's lack of emotional involvement extends to virtually all areas of his life, including his family in Austria and his work as an actor on the fringes of Hollywood. The straight couple who are friends of Mark and Jonah show flashes of humanity, but no particularly compelling story relevant to the film. In the final scene, Mark's modest attempt to reach Jonah may be intended to show his humanity, but there's no hint of what he learned or why he's changed. I gained little insight into these characters in the film, certainly felt no connection to them or their lives, and wondered what the writer/director was trying to communicate. This isn't uncommon among current films -- with attractive actors whose physical appearance is their only identity, leaving audiences to watch them without knowing much of anything about them. Their appearance speaks for itself.

Give me Scenes From a Marriage by Ingmar Bergman for a slow-moving but dramatic film or else a film with a gripping plot. Pretty actors, skin, a slow-paced plot, and no drama fall flat for me.