I Love You, I Love You Not

This movie was 80 minutes long??? It seemed twice that! I Love You, I Love You Not is certainly not horrible, but it's not a movie I'd really care to watch again.

I was strolling through Blockbuster searching for a film to watch over the weekend when this particular one caught my eye. Even though I'm not a Claire Danes fan (though she did a fine job in Little Women), I saw Jude Law's name and knew I had to rent it. I was disappointed. This film is contrived, cliched, and doesn't know whether to be totally serious or humorous. It fails on all counts (especially the hokey scene at the school assembly)!

The narrative of this movie is totally choppy, and the Holocaust scenes and the school scenes don't seem to blend in well together. If they'd focused solely on the romance of Jewish Daisy and Gentile Ethan the film might have really gone somewhere. This is not to say that Jeanne Moreau doesn't shine as Nana, she absolutely radiates.

Claire Danes gives an OK performance, and had the role and the story in general been better, she could've done a terrific job as Daisy. And what about Daisy's parents? They are almost never mentioned. What exactly is her relationship with them?

The true saving grace is Jude Law as Ethan. We can see why he is entranced by Daisy, as she is not the "typical" cheerleader giggly type who hangs all over him. We understand how he gives in to the prejudice around him when it comes to Daisy and his friends. I believe, especially after Mr. Law's success in The Talented Mr. Ripley, he is going to take Hollywood by storm and make all sorts of great movies.

Let's just hope they're all better than this one!

Essentially, this movie has all the makings for..well, a better one. Claire Danes plays a quiet girl with sad eyes, and unloving parents who spends most of her time with her Grandmother. One day in english class, she reads aloud a poem written about Jude Law's character, "Ethan", who is the stereotypical jock/playboy on campus. The two get together...blah blah blah..

I won't tell you anymore except the the ending is VERY dissapointing. It's as though the movie just, ends. You don't see it coming, you feel like it should be starting to get good, and the plot holes filled up..well, they aren't, and it does. It's really quite aggrivating. Jude Law and Claire Danes performances are great, but not quite enough to push this movie onto my favourite list. But, don't let me discourage you, it's worth the rent.

For me this film is unsuccessful in intermingling the issue of antisemitism with the coming of age of a relatively studious young woman. On one level the Jude Law character might be only marginally deeper than his disgustingly callow friends. He is attracted by the young woman's seriousness and relatively shy affection for him but this attraction is offset by her social conservatism. The depth of any antisemitism in him or amongst his silly friends is never explored. In the end the motivation of his character, and the point of the film, elude me. An interpretation that springs to mind is that gentiles do not feel the significance of the holocaust, that they trivialise it. Part of coming of age for jewish girls is therefore that they should (or simply do) experience failed love affairs with gentiles. The fact that these affairs fail for these reasons is somehow constructively educational for the girls. I truly hope this is not intended to be the message.

I had to watch this movies twice. The first viewing left me a bit off kilter, a bit confused - as to how I felt about the film (the performances etc..) and the story. What I have decided after watching it over: This story is unique, nice. I felt the 3 main roles where well given. Claire Danes is the classic thoughtful and misunderstood child [My so called Life leading the way for teenage 'angst' series; Juliet - in Romeo and Juliet]. She pulls off the dreamy look. Jude Law, a fitting choice for Daisy's shy affections as her 'perfect' guy. The rest of the cast? Gone. Scratch all of them. I felt James Van Der Beek was totally unconvincing as a taunter/verbal bully (?). There were definitely angles in the film that needed work - particularly Ethan's character, and his interaction with his friends. If you try and come to some conclusion about them - you draw a blank. An intended one? I don't know. As well as Daisy's home life needed work. I can't decide whether it is left out on purpose or not.

The directing, for me, was what ultimately let the story down rather than enhancing it. No lingering shots, no closeups where there should have been, particularly during Ethan and Daisy's interaction. It's hard to explain, but the shot's didn't work. Didn't create the feeling the movie needed to work.

And this is a story that deserves to work.

a nice little story of a bit of a confused girl...i loved the setting and the actors. nothing gets explored too deeply, expect the ups and downs of daisy (clair danes). its a movie i think more young females can relate too and it is a simple, sweet movie worth looking at. u feel at times that u can relate to the main character and sometimes she seems to take things a little further than she should, but it is all part of the person she is. I really loved the movie, but i'd say its more of a chick flick. Worth the watch if u'r looking for an easy, slower movie.