Singles

Cameron Crowe is one of those directors that thrive on making the little moments in movies the most memorable ones you'll ever see in your life. In 'Almost Famous,' it was when everyone on the Stillwater tour bus was singing along to "Tiny Dancer." In 'Say Anything...' it was when Lloyd was driving around and proclaimed how his heart was exchanged for Diane's pen. Crowe also creates many memorable little moments in 'Singles,' which may not be the most famous movie he's made but it's one of the best.

Even though 'Singles' is about twenty-somethings in Seattle, everything rang true to me as I am now, a teenager. The film is honest and real in how couples become couples and how relationships can fall apart. 'Singles' isn't at all mean-spirited or depressing in its portrayal of relationships or the dating game, so it might turn some people off who want to see the extremely ugly confrontations (a la 'Closer'). But the moments in 'Singles' that make it worth watching are when Linda (Kyra Sedgewick) gets to know Steve (Campbell Scott) while going through his record collection in his apartment. Or when Janet (Bridget Fonda) sneezes and gets a "bless you" from someone she (and the audience) would least expect.

Everything about 'Singles' is great. The cast, the music and the truth behind the movie will bring a smile to your face.

SINGLES is a charming, romantic movie and one of Cameron Crowe's best.

An oft-heard criticism of this film is that it's not an authentic portrayal of the Gen-X culture of the early 90's, but I've yet to see that done well in any film.

More importantly, the film never claims to be a Gen-X film. It's set in Seattle during the height of Seattle Sound but the cast is made up of driven professionals and slackers alike. It's more of a cross-section of 20-somethings, not a focus on Gen-X or Grunge. The characters, settings and themes are all to a certain degree idealized, which is a staple of Crowe's style.

Where this film's charm really lies is in capturing the spirit of the early-90's and the anti-classist sentiment embraced by teens and young professionals in opposition to the "status is everything" 1980s. It's nice to remember a time when being socially and environmentally conscious was actually fashionable for a time.

Sadly we all got sucked into the dot-com thing and realized we can be just as bad as our parents.

Having lived in Seattle during the years of my life most of the characters are in this movie, I was able to relate to this movie. Anyone who has lived in an apartment complex where people have dated and known a bit too much about each other can appreciate this film. The cameo appearances of members of pearl jam and xavier mcdaniel were a great touch.

The viewer is left with what I could call a warm feeling much like watching the sun set on a day towards the end of summer. Contemplation of all the good and bad that may have occurred in the last few months..

Maybe that's a bit too abstract, but if this movie gets you there then fine.

And yes, the sun does shine sometimes in Seattle!

What I liked most about Singles was that many of the characters you could identify with. Its not often in a film where you can look at characters and think - I know someone like that. Its actually very accurate in the way it depicts the attitudes of twenty somethings who have been through a series of less than successful relationships. There are some great, and very funny scenes in this film, and the actors all put in great performances. Setting it in Seattle- the home of the Grunge band was a fantastic idea as well.

If you lived it, you love it. If not, you try to appreciate and judge if not willing. This captures the magic of a time and a city, and mostly the magic that Nirvana brought forth.