Blue Jay

Greetings again from the darkness. Mark Duplass is the master of awkward. As a writer he excels in awkward encounters, awkward conversations, awkward situations … and awkward people. He can even create awkward out minimalism – two people in a simple and normal environment.

A bearded Mr. Duplass stars as Jim, a seemingly normal guy who has returned to his small hometown to pack up his mother's house after her passing. While at the local market, he bumps into his old high school sweetheart Amanda, played by Sarah Paulson, who just happens to be in town visiting her expectant sister. Their awkward grocery aisle reunion leads to a very unusual … and yes, awkward … evening.

First time director Alexandre Lehmann uses his extensive experience as a cinematographer, and a black & white motif, to create a beautifully filmed story that is both simple and layered. Only one other actor appears in the movie … one scene with the great Clu Galager ("The Virginian", The Last Picture Show) as a local merchant who provides a link to the past for Amanda and Jim. The bulk of the time is spent in Jim's mother's house – a literal time capsule that allows for reminiscing for the two former lovers.

Amongst the old familiar clothes, photos, letters, books and audio tapes, Jim and Amanda somehow progress to a bizarre form of role playing/play acting as if they had married young and were now celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary. You guessed it … awkward. Dinner, dancing, acting silly, jelly beans, Annie Lennox and cutting loose leads them to an awkward bedroom encounter. This moment finally produces an explosion of emotion which uncovers the long-buried source of their break-up … shutting down their fantasy game of recapturing the past.

It would be pretty easy to compare the film to Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise (1995) or Before Sunset (2004), and though it has more in common with the latter, this one comes across more raw and melancholy than those more celebrated films. We never once doubt this situation could play out, but the only word to describe two former lovers exploring "what could have been" is … awkward. It's a captivating movie to watch and yet another feather in the cap of Duplass Productions.

"Blue Jay" delivers a master class in acting thanks to Sarah Paulson and Mark DuPlass, who play one-time sweethearts who reunite accidentally in their home town. What follows is a painfully sweet and sad story about two people processing the regret they feel about giving up on something that might have been right, but who must move forward with the lives they have.

Much of the ground covered in this film has been covered before, but so what? After all, there are only so many stories and themes out there for artists to explore. What matters are the particulars brought to any one telling, and that's where "Blue Jay" shines. Its improvisational, loosey-goosey vibe feels just right, and makes us feel like we're privileged insiders in this couple's story. Paulson and DuPlass don't miss a beat, and the final scene is a tour de force for both of them.

I wasn't ready for this movie to end when it did, not because the ending felt misplaced, but because I wasn't ready to be away from these people. That's pretty high praise.

Grade: A

Short and pleasant, definitely worth a watch if you're into romantic movies.

Are you in love? Or, do you want to fall in love? Or, are you heart broken? Whatever the case may be, Alex Lehmann's Blue Jay is the perfect remedy. Here is a film so honestly made that it will make your heart melt. Blue Jay is essentially a two handler about two former high school lovers who bump into each other for the first time in two decades.

It is an awkward situation at first. But soon it develops into a very memorable day for the both of them. There are moments of immense joy and pain as they revisit their past through their present. It's like experiencing catharsis. Indie films, when they are really good, can really pack a punch because they are not bound by the liability to placate the Studio bosses, thereby allowing greater liberty to the filmmaker. And, Blue Jay is a very well made indie film and certainly one of the better indies that I have ever seen.

One of the greatest strengths of the film are the acting performances of Mark Duplass and Sarah Paulson. The two of them look so natural (the choice monochrome of course helps... color would have drastically toned down the intensity). Both the actors demonstrate a great range of emotions. Duplass looks the more volatile of the two but it is as per the demand of the character. As for Paulson, her smile seems capable of speaking a thousand words. Together, they create magic, which, I daresay, most Hollywood A- listers fail to create these days.

The film has its share of flaws but overall it makes for a wonderful movie viewing experience. If you are a hopeless romantic then this film is certainly for you

For more on the world of cinema, please visit my film blog "A Potpourri of Vestiges".

This movie reminds me a very known quote by a Romanian author, Octavian Paler: "Something you don't feel at the right moment, you will never feel it again." It's that kind of movie that motivates you to live your life as long as you have it and never forget about your old friends and the place you grew, especially the persons you once loved. I learned that something written is more powerful than spoken words. You can easily find out that if you are not surrounded with love, if you don't have someone you want to share your life with, you became lost, confused, sad and maybe depressive (Jim). I finish this movie with tears in my eyes, realizing that this story may be something true among us.