Newness

Movies like these don't come along very often. This is my third Doremus film (after Like Crazy and Equals) and while Equals probably remains on the top of my list, Newness comes in at a close second. Newness explores the dangers and thrills of online dating in an urban world, where distractions are easily found and easier to be pursued. In the midst of it all, Martin and Gabriela are trying to find their way as a couple. The movie's appeal comes from its splendid directing and cinematography, which was already outstanding in Equals. The wash of hues, the angles, everything fits like a glove and helps underline the vivid and thrilling nature of the movie's theme. It feels organic, authentic and vigorous, not least due to the unadulterated performances of its main cast - Nicholas Hoult and Laia Costa (who was already brilliant in Vicotria) have chemistry coming up the wazoo, it's almost ridiculous. This movie took me on an emotional roller coaster; it's definitely not for everyone. And it's not a perfect movie by any means. Watching this movie simply felt a bit like falling in love, which - in my book - always seems like a good thing.

I almost made the mistake of switching the movie off 15 minutes in. Thankfully I didn't. Laia Costa in a very emotional scene captivated me as she did for the whole movie and the story finally really began. Even though we get obvious unsubtle punches against facebook and tinder it is not really about these technologies because they are just that. They don't force us to do anything. It is about generation "swipe left if you are bored". It is about running away from conflict thus running away from real relationships. Relationships are messy. They always have been always will be. But what makes them deep the work you put in. The best quote of the movie nails it: "love is two people not giving up on each other" as I didn't give up on this movie 15 minutes in being rewarded at the end.

For a movie that has relationship written all over it in the "modern era" (that is with cell phones and apps to find "love"), this really could be called a modern day love story. So while you could compare it to "Love", this is not as explicit as that (though you will have some nudiy in this too), but gets more involved into the characters.

One set up shows closeness physically, but characters being as far apart as possible. It could have gone wrong, too cliche, but the symbolism of it really hits home (no pun intended). The movie generally has quite a few themes, with "newness" being one of them. The pleasure one has to enjoy that. But even with one character living in the past, the connection to "new" is still there. The other character may not want anything newer, but that plays into the theme too. Especially when things get mixed up.

The movie tries to analyze a bit and give us a look into the psyche, but it not a psychological study. You can read a couple of things into it, but it does try to stay in the drama department and the general flow of the movie. Good themes, good acting and a good script about a ... new sort of love story

This film tells the story of a man and a woman, who use dating apps to meet others for fun with no strings attached.

That's the first ten minutes of the plot anyway. It appears that they constantly want newness in their love and sex lives. Yet, the story soon develops to another direction. It is clear that one of them is stuck in the past, while the other wants something but would not admit it. It is a brilliant portrayal of modern relationships. It even explores honesty to self and others. In addition, the lighting and the sets are consistently remarkable. Though the film is a little slow at times, it is still worth a watch.

I must say the movie is pretty good to watch, do not be put off by the negative reviews. It depends what you expect, the pace of the story matches its plot, acting and dialogues are good, not that special, but it conveys the idea that the movie is about pretty well. There is no answer today which one is better, a committed serious relationship, or an open exciting yet not complete one. See the movie to find what they had to say, you would like it.