I'll Take You There

I too have gone thru very painful personal loss (Twice) and this movie portrays the gut wrenching reality of that experience very well, Life out of balance, nothing makes sense, well meaning relatives, etc...

It was nice to see Ally again. She is one of my all time favorite movie actors.

I laughed and cried as the story unfolded. Great story and cast. Well done!

The influence of Hal Hartley in Adrienne Shelly's "I'll Take You There" is not overt, but clearly has ties to his work (Shelly has acted in two of Hartley's films). Not only does her film exhibit a very tight narrative, but the hyper-stylized and extreme characters strangely render human emotion in a very real light. Though this film is not ironic on the whole (thank God), the small and subtle ironies that pepper the piece allude to the bitter truths in love and loss. With beautiful cinematography and a soundtrack straight from the seventies, "I'll See You There" is a great indie-film that doesn't stoop to postmodern irony when dealing with the woes of love and the reality of human emotion.

The film begins with Bill's life falling to pieces. Not only has he sold his best friend Ray a beautiful country home, but his wife Rose has left him in order to join Ray in the retreat. All washed up, Bill wallows in his own gloom and doom until his sister Lucy (played by the director Adrienne Shelly) brings him all kinds of surprises: a self-help book and a "date" for her traumatized brother.

The unwilling Bill tries to refuse, but the sudden appearance of Bernice at his door leaves him no choice. No doubt Bernice's initially superficial demeanor and ridiculous hairstyle detract from his ability to "rebound" with her. However, her pseudo-hippie qualities annoy him so much that he lashes at her on their first date. And Bernice is so traumatized by his derogatory remarks that she attaches herself to him, forcing herself upon him. To what end, we are not aware... except for maybe the fact that she is psycho. (And who better to play the psycho than Ally Sheedy?)

Aware that Bill desperately wants to see Rose, Bernice offers her car, but on the condition that he take her somewhere first. On the way, she proceeds to hold Bill prisoner with his own gun (a Pinkerton Detective, no less). An imbroglio of angst, resentment, redemption, passion and violence ensue as Bill and Bernice find themselves on their way to the country home of Ray and Rose... of course, with a few stops along the way.

Bill (Reg Rogers), a real estate salesman in New York City, is unexpectedly jilted by his beautiful, artistic wife. She runs off with a gentleman who purchased a nice house from Bill, in upstate New York. Totally in despair, Bill is doing badly at work and at home. His sister (Adrienne Shelley) decides to jolt her brother out of his funk by arranging for him to meet one of her old college friends, Bernice (Ally Sheedy). Bernice, however, is a bit of an odd duck and Bill insults her on their first date, causing her much pain. Yet, Bernice decides to get even, by kidnapping Bill and taking him on a car trip to visit her relatives. Will Bill be able to break free of Bernice's clutches? Will he want to? This is a very original film, with characters and a script that take the viewer into the realm of the unusual but satisfying world of offbeat movies. Sheedy is quite wonderful as the decidedly different woman and Rogers just fine as the heartbroken husband. The rest of the cast, including Shelley herself, who wrote and directed the film, are more than adequate. Given the probable budget constraints, the movie nevertheless looks great, with nice sets, costumes and amenities. If you have seen Shelley's Waitress and are looking backward to her other films, you will find this one an interesting first effort. Although it is not as successful or as universal as Waitress, no one could ever deem this flick as dull. Therefore, anyone who loves a departure from run of the mill movies will find this one easy to embrace.

This movie is wonderful. The writing, directing, acting all are fantastic. Very witty and clever script. Quality performances by actors, Ally Sheedy is strong and dynamic and delightfully quirky. Really original and heart-warmingly unpredicatable. The scenes are alive with fresh energy and really talented production.

In many respects, this is the "Shallow Hal" film for the more mature and cultivated. The main character is a shmutzy looser whose ex-promqueen wife has dumped him unceremoniously for his self-absorbed best friend, and he is obsessed with winning her back. Then his sister, in a misguided attempt to cheer him up, sets him up with the date from hell. This character is exquisitely portrayed by Ally Sheedy, who explodes into his life like an atom bomb. She is repulsive, assertive, controlling and demanding, to give her the benefit of the doubt, and clings to him like a cheap suit of clothes. But this is not a melodrama, and the characters develop and evolve from the absurd to the sublime.

Unlike the more garish "Shallow Hal," which does ask us to consider the less superficial aspects of the meaning and purpose of a relationship, but with stereotypes painted "rather broadly" so to speak, this one approaches the subject with a sharply pointed pencil and a fine-toothed comb. In both films the guy is a dufus who learns to become a mensch. But the girl in this one has a rather paradoxical kind of beauty to her personality that was always there. She becomes likeable precisely because we know that she is different, and not in spite of that fact. Otherwise, it is a splendid fantasy and romance, not to be taken too seriously. We can believe that something like this could happen long enough to enjoy the wonderful story.