Une pause... quatre soupirs

Despite the little attention this movie has gotten, and the varied, sporadic comments and reviews, "Bodies, Rest and Motion" is the most wonderful thing I have seen in years. The four actors (Fonda, Stoltz, Cates, and Roth) could not do better to bring to us a very subtle, touching, and elegant portrayal of loves come and gone and lives living on threads. There's no action here, and very little actually happens, but the dialogue and the attention to details are so strong, you find you don't need anything more; you can simply revel in each actors' beauty and condition. You have to watch this movie more than once, and you have to cry at times, it's that good. I'm scratching my head why this movie did not make greater acclaim. Either I'm going mental, or the world is just missing out.

This opens with Newton's First Law of Motion. It's Enfield, Arizona. Recently fired TV salesman Nick (Tim Roth) impulsively decides to move to Butte, Montana. His girlfriend Beth (Bridget Fonda) is following him there and they leave behind friend Carol (Phoebe Cates). Workman Sid (Eric Stoltz) comes to paint Nick and Beth's place before the new tenants arrive. It's their last day in the house.

It's a 90's indie about four characters. Each one is stuck in a different way as they navigate love's cross currents. Nick is damaged and causing damage. Both Beth and Carol are trapped by him in different ways. Sid is the romantic who falls for Beth. There is something a little overly written in the dialogue. It comes off a little too much. The movie also needs some scenes with all four characters together. I kept expecting it and it never happens. It's been almost thirty years since I first saw this movie. I have to say that I don't remember any of it other than the theme song. The song sets a tone and I do remember that. I don't find these characters appealing and it needs an explosive scene with the four lead characters together confronting their feelings. At the very least, Beth needs to confront Nick.

Eric Stoltz popping and loving the packing bubbles the TV came in is us film nerds liking this meandering drama more than the average movie viewer.

Tim Roth has that annoying 90's men's haircut that everyone had and he speaks in an American accent which kept throwing me off.

So 90's you'll wanna dig out your flannel to wear while watching it.

This movie is in a category I like to call time and place. It has a very powerful resonance with someone who is experiencing a similar dilemma. For me I originally watched it when it came out and thought the dialogue was well-paced and witty and the acting from Fonda, Roth, and Cates was superb. I recently watched the film again, because I had somewhat grown into its situation. Needless to say it was nearly poetic in a way. That western landscape and feeling of restlessness... My only major complaint was the scoring was a little tedious at times.

If you have an attention span of sit-com-length, this is not your movie. True, it's 90 minutes or so, but those moments are stretched- as they should be. Sid's character (the sage, of sorts) wants to stretch a moment, and that is what this movie seeks to do. For the most part, these characters are ordinary people- and the actors play them as such. The dialogue isn't expository, but it's real- the characters interact as any person would. There are no huge turning points, explosions, love-struck stares, and all the rest of the hollywood spin supposed to be "real." These are people who could live down the street.

The best part, though, was the cinematography- the camera work is beautiful. There are just enough jump cuts to get your attention, but for the most part, the camera frames these ordinary lives without intruding on them, all while capturing the oranges, reds, and warm whites of the Arizona landscape.

While the character of the painter is supposed to be a sage- offering wise comments about identity and humanity, I was relieved when his mistakes/flaws were finally revealed at the end. All-in-all, the symbols and stress points made for a thoughtful movie.