My Last Five Girlfriends

I noticed this movie scheduled on TV in a time slot that, shall we say, is not where you find blockbusters and Oscar winners. I was intrigued by the widely disparate opinions here on IMDB, so I gave it a watch. Outwardly, it's very much like 500 Days of Summer, from a decade before, in that it jumps from milestone to milestone, and into fantasy, as the protagonist sincerely tries to make his love life work. It is full of cute touches and situations that make it look like the kind of movie Hollywood markets to couples, but I'm glad that I saw it alone because it digs a little too deep into the issue of human nature, raising questions that I think most couples like to leave unasked for the sake of smooth sailing. Maybe that unsettling aspect is why the film didn't exactly catch fire at the box office. I think it's a creditable job of work, though.

Surprising. I wasn't quite sure what this movie was going to be like. In the beginning, it seemed to be a bit dark and cynical, but the attitude turned around and quickly became funny, witty, and interesting. The concepts in this movie are so dream-like and imaginative that I couldn't get enough of Duncan's little quirks. I also fell in love with the way the writers used everyday things to symbolize an aspect of Duncan's love life, like a pair of shoes or an avocado. This movie is, in a word, real. It's safe to say everyone can relate to this movie, and it's like 5 little stories in one. Honestly this film is fantastic and definitely worth watching.

"You'll probably wind up sitting next to the cast and crew" suggested the marketing blurb on the Edinburgh International Film Festival poster; an unlikely overstatement I thought, until I went to this little gem of a film, and the bloke in the next seat along turned out to be the Directory of Photography. Indeed, a healthy smattering of the cast and crew pitched up for the film's second showing, and fair play to them for taking the trouble.

I'm not really a great one for rom-coms, this was a definite wife-pick and I went in with limited expectations. However, it didn't take long for a fairly rapid re-appraisal. The basic premise - a series of takes on why some relationships don't work out from the perspective of a slightly geeky bloke (apparently, this is grossly unfair as my wife informs me that he's pretty hot stuff) – is not desperately original, but the manner of its execution is both well above the average and decidedly original.

The film is crammed with witty and ingenious ideas – the Barbie doll vignette to summarise the 'girl on a plane' back-story is inspired, as is the Theme Park concept of a different ride for each girlfriend. Nice. The cameos are perfectly-pitched, in particular Michael Sheen and Johnny Ball, and the effervescent Vitamin C tablet fake ending was equally well-judged. The pace is fast and there's little, if any, slack in the tight script – indeed, if I had a minor grumble, it would be that I felt the film would have benefited from a little more time spent on character development of girlfriends 1-4.

Effective as a comedy on a number of levels, it even managed to slot in some painful relationship truisms – the 'cereal box' effect at the start of a relationship, yet another clever idea – that had the audience chuckling in knowing appreciation.

It left me wanting more, and I hope that commercial success beckons, because this film thoroughly merits it. 7/10 (which is admittedly a bit mean, and more down to me not really liking the genre).

I had no knowledge of the novel by Alain de Botton on which this is based, but I had previously watched several of his TV programs. While I was watching the film something someone was saying would occasionally remind me of the writer's (Botton's) psychological (and philosophical) interests. There was, however, ample drama for me to be able to feel empathy for most of the characters, as well as enough unexpected plot 'surprises' to maintain my desire to find out what would happen next. Visually I tended to find there was rather more use of distorting lenses in the cinematography than I am used to (or, personally, comfortable with), but having said that I can also see why their use may be reasonably justified. Fairly understated but nonetheless enthusiastic performances from most of the actors and actresses. Definitely well worth the time spent watching.

I think this film may not cross water - the Americans won't get the humour, and the Europeans will be wondering why we have to work so hard to get in to bed with each other (its why there are so many drunk British people in Spain, we can't do it sober).

There are two aspects of the film which bring it to the top of the pile - the script and the cinematography. The script is not just tight and well-timed; its storyline is a fairly accurate, almost forensic, depiction of why we keep screwing up in relationships (that's a British 'we' of course). The imagery is fantastic, a clever mix of interesting/beautiful angles and variously styled animated sequences.

The acting is good but not great, but perhaps that was an implicit theme within the film...very clever.