XX/XY

I saw this movie at the GenArt Film Festival 8 April 2003. As I watched the movie I kept wanting to like it. For one thing it is indeed an extremely realistic portrayal of a certain class of people. And it was introduced by the GenArt film programmer as being "young and hip -- very representative of our audience". And yet...for two hours we are treated to a portrait of a bunch of shallow, miserable, unhappy, selfish, clueless people with apparently no work responsibilities and no families and no relationships outside of their whining, mewling, sullen, mopey complaints about each other interspersed with bouts of apparently pleasureless intercourse. 45 minutes of the college version of this followed by 45 minutes of the soulless successful yuppie version of this. They cried, they screwed, they lied. They hardly ever laughed and it was a real strain near the end to watch them trying their damndest to have fun with a little karaoke. In the end, while I appreciated the skillful realism of the portrait, I couldn't get over the fact that I just wouldn't care about these people in real life. I made this comment in the Q&A afterwards and the director was intolerant. A few people afterwards came up and agreed with me. Also most of the reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes had the same impression. Still, it is valuable as a detailed anatomy of the insipid.

Perhaps the most damning thing you can say about a movie is that it stirs no feelings in you. If you absolutely hate a movie, well at least you feel something. XX/XY denies you even that. There's nothing worth hating. But there's certainly nothing to love either. There's just nothing, an emptiness. The story doesn't engage, the characters inspire no reaction. It's very bland, rather monotonous and sorely lacking in entertainment value.

XX/XY is the story of a young man, Coles, played by Mark Ruffalo with a silly mustache. Coles meets young college student Sam. That would be a girl Sam by the way, played by Maya Strange. And Sam has a wild child roommate, Thea, played by Kathleen Robertson. Right after the trio meet they make their way to the bedroom for an exceedingly awkward threesome. They end up in a weird sort of friendship with Coles and Sam a couple and Thea floating around off to the side. And then Coles, who is at heart a jerk, does some jerky things and the whole thing implodes.

It is now years later. You can tell it's years later because Coles no longer has a mustache. Now he's in a long-term relationship with a woman named Claire. They're not married but they may as well be, that's the type of relationship they have. And then out of the clear blue sky Sam shows up and you can guess what happens from there. Jerky Coles decides he's wanted Sam all along. Wild child Thea re-enters the picture too, although she's not wild anymore, actually settled down and showing some signs of maturity. Maturity is clearly not something Coles possesses. He acts like a spoiled child and screws things up all over again. Sam's not much better. Poor Claire is there to serve as the aggrieved party, someone for you to feel sorry for. But again this movie really fails to make you feel anything. The key characters are unsympathetic, but not so much so that you can muster up any hate for them. The movie just sits there, nothing grabs you. It's all very predictable, it's not all very entertaining. The best thing you can say about the movie is that the performances are pretty good. It's a fine cast, they just have no material to work with. The focus is on the trio from the first part of the film but if there's any truly memorable moment in the whole film it belongs to Claire. She has a moment where she states the truth about all that has gone on, bluntly and honestly, something nobody else is willing to do. It's a strong moment for the character and for actress Petra Wright. But the movie can't even let us have that moment. It cheapens it, essentially nullifies it, later on by having Claire do something she quite simply should not do. In a smarter, better movie she would do no such thing. Here it's the final unsatisfying piece in an unsatisfying film.

As I was watching this film, I was wondering if there would be a fundamental difference in the way it was viewed by men and women. It seemed very true to life. I would be surprised if the author did not experience some of the film's events firsthand--or at least observe them.

The feel of reality is one of the best things about the film. It helps that the three main characters are played by actors who really inhabit the characters. Just as in life, we see awkward moments and situations where confusion exists.

The film's title could have been Woman/Man. The title XX/XY brings things down to the chromosomal level, suggesting the film is about the basic nature of men and women. Are the differences in the behaviors displayed by the two genders genetically encoded?

Coles (Mark Ruffalo), the man in the triad, says there is "no room for honesty in a healthy relationship." This shows his confusion over what a healthy relationship is. It also might suggest that honesty does not mean the same thing to everyone. Finally, it is an honest appraisal of a truth in many relationships. Not everyone wants the complete truth. And when you love someone, how much are you willing to hurt him if the truth might lead to his pain?

The main question I have about this film is whether or not realness is the only attribute a good film needs? I cannot say any of the characters inspired me.

In the end, we are left with Coles continuing to be ambivalent. Did he change throughout the film? Did anyone? The lesson is, I guess, that it is difficult to deal with your true nature and the true nature of others. Decisions are sometimes made not because they lead to the best of all possible worlds, but because the results of our actions (determined by our natures) lead us to them.

Kathleen Robertson, who plays Thea, is striking. Maya Strange, who plays Sam, reminds me of a cross between Clare Danes and Michelle Pfeiffer. The rest of the cast also do an excellent job.

Austin Chick has done wonders with "XX/XY". It's almost as though he is working in solving a mathematical equation. In the process, he makes us follow the three principals, Coles, Maya and Thea throughout almost ten years to see what become of the characters. Mr. Chick is a film maker in tune with young people, their language, their interplay, and their sexual discoveries.

In securing the services of Mark Ruffalo for the pivotal role of Coles, the director is blessed as well with wonderful performances all around. Mr. Ruffalo has become one of the best actors working in the American cinema. He always bring such an intensity to everything he does, but in a subtle and quiet way. We always know what's going on with this man because he expresses everything with gestures that are always right. There's never a moment wrong in Mr. Ruffalo's portrayal of Coles.

The story begins in 1993 as the original friends, Coles, Thea and Maya explore their sexual awakenings in unorthodox ways. Coles is the man who lusts after both room mates, but it's obvious that Maya is the one that gets the best of him until their separation.

As the story turns to the present time. We see Coles in a relationship with Claire, the 'together' young woman who seems secure enough with Coles never to pressure him into a marriage, because she feels he is committed to staying with her. Their life together suddenly takes a spin with the reemergence of Maya, who has been away in London all these years. Her presence unravels Coles to the point of betrayal to Claire. It is Claire who gets the last laugh as she confronts Coles to tell him how ahead of the game she really is.

The last scene is enigmatic. We watch Coles and Claire standing by the door. Coles is trying to hold it open, but Claire succeeds in closing it, and as a chapter in their relationship has ended.

The two principals, Maya Strange, as Sam, and Kathleen Robertson, as Thea, are excellent as the college girls that love to have fun. However, one has a feeling that it's Petra Wright, who plays Claire, that gives the strongest performance. Ms. Wright has a luminous aura about her; she overshadows the others. One realizes that Coles needs her and she loves him.

Bravo to Austin Chick for a job well done.

Three college-age swingers "get together" for some fun, and in the course of a few months grow emotionally close to each other. The central character is Coles (Mark Ruffalo), a libertine who draws artwork and wants to be a filmmaker. The two women are attractive, and as arty and modern in outlook as Coles. But over time, the three drift apart. Five years later Coles and one of the ladies cross paths, which sparks a reunion between the three, together with their current mates. "XX/XY" is a cinematic study in growing up, making decisions, and accepting responsibility for those decisions.

The screenplay is weak, with a mediocre premise, an Act Two that dawdles and meanders, and dialogue that is not memorable. Still, the overall acting is strong enough to overcome the screenplay, and render a film that is mildly entertaining and engaging. It's certainly better than what I had expected.

The film's cinematography is not remarkable, but it's not bad either. I don't recall a film with so many close-up shots. It's as if the director wanted to emphasize that the film is a character study, by zooming in close to each of the main characters, over and over and over. I could have wished for more variety in camera techniques.

Also, given the romantic angle of the story and the arty personalities, I could have wished for a more bohemian cinematic style, along the lines of "Plein soleil"(1960), with dazzling colors and music, and more flair in production design. The apparent low budget of "XX/XY" renders a style that is somewhat pedestrian and bland.

But as is, "XX/XY" is not a bad film. It's worth at least a one time visit, especially for youthful viewers still searching for themselves and not yet committed to any particular path in life.