The Dish & the Spoon

This movie was perhaps just a little bit too 'artsy' for my liking. Initially, I was intrigued by what I had read about the movie, hence I decided to give it a go. And now having seen it, I can honestly say that this movie was not meant for me.

The story, or what resembles a story, is taking place around two core characters; Rose (played by Greta Gerwig) who is struggling to deal with her husbands affair with a woman named Emma, and a quirky British teenager (played by Olly Alexander), who is running away from something. The two find comfort in each others company and help each other to get to where they are going.

It is a story that is character driven and also fueled by the passion of the characters. We are introduced to two somewhat offbeat characters and given the chance to ride along with them on their journey, and that is perhaps the centerpiece of the movie; the essence of the movie, if you will.

As for the story, well it wasn't really all that interesting to me, and it took ages for the movie to get from A to B, and had surprisingly little to tell in the time that it took to get there.

The strong side of the movie was the acting. There was a lot riding on the performances of Greta Gerwig and Olly Alexander, as they were the only ones on the screen about 90% of the time. And I will say that they did a good job in portraying their characters.

Another strong side of the movie was the cinematography. The movie was really nicely shot and edited, and had some really great images in it, and a lot of shots that needed no dialogue or explaining.

I found my interest starting to drift to other things a couple of times throughout the movie, because it clearly wasn't meant for me as an audience. I am sure there is an audience out there for this particular type of movie, and I am sure those people will enjoy this type of movie as well.

The entire movie feels much like the opening - a long drive through a tunnel with a woman crying. Occasionally an amusing or artsy shot is added but they are not enough to redeem this exercise in boredom.

What little plot there is centers around the weekend (maybe) escapades of a woman whose husband slept with another woman. She finds a young man sleeping in a lighthouse and develops a quirky relationship with him. There appears to be no reason for many of their actions, particularly a scene in which she makes him a transvestite. Little is learned about the couple or their motivations. In fact, the name of the man is never revealed. The movie is best characterized by long takes of the actors homely faces.

The few moments of artistic interest, such as when the man excellently draws her face in the sand, do add something. The moments are too fleeting, however, to suffer the 90 minutes of agitation and boredom that this movie instills.

I stumbled across this movie on Netflix, and watched it because a "Delaware beach town" was mentioned in a review. I lived for several years in Rehoboth Beach, DE.

As far as reviewing the film, I won't. I seldom follow any reviewer's recommendations as I find them to be totally useless. Nobody can tell me what I'll like or dislike; I must find that out for myself.

The biggest reason I am adding my 2 cents is that "an abandoned lighthouse" is mentioned in several places as the spot where the two characters meet.

In actuality, the "lighthouse" is a submarine lookout tower which was used in WWII. These towers dot the seashore along Delaware's east coast.

Anyway, I did enjoy the movie and will recommend it to friends, if only for the familiar scenery. I especially liked the brewery tour in the Dogfish Head brewery as I have sampled many of their beers in their bar/restaurant in Rehoboth.

Alison Bagnall brings her 2nd feature length film, The Dish & The Spoon, with shameless intimacy.

After discovering her husband has cheated on her, Rose (Greta Gerwig) goes on a beer-drinking rampage, pulling the young, mysterious vagabond (Olly Alexander) in on her plan for revenge against the bitch who put her in this position.

The two share an undeniable – often cute and occasionally awkward – on screen chemistry.

Their unique and intimate relationship develops in an interesting balance of sexual tension, bare emotions and twisted manipulation.

Bagnall sincerely seems to be an actor's director, where playfulness and experimentation is balanced with an emotional depth.

The film is sincere and reckless, letting the characters lead the narrative. Rose wants to scream, Rose will scream. Rose wants to cuddle, Rose will cuddle. Rose wants to steal, Rose will steal.

The characters really seem free to act how they want and feel in each moment rather than being pulled across a constructed story forcing them to go from point A to B. The characters do what they want, not what they're told. There is something about this movie that reflects real life and relationships in a way that is true and unhindered.

The Dish & The Spoon feels like a secret roller coaster ride that we get to experience with these two strangers as they grope for some sort of emotional connection and personal understanding over a few unlikely days.

It's a brave film that I'm glad I experienced and hope to see in theaters!

Rose (Greta Gerwig) is outraged over her husband's affair with yoga teacher Emma. She picks up an English boy (Olly Alexander) in distress. He had come to America for a girl which ended in disappointment. The two have an uncomfortable time as they set to confront Emma.

I wonder how young exactly is the boy supposed to be. Olly is twenty and there is no reason why he wouldn't jump all over Gerwig which makes the early hesitation rather silly. All of it depends on his age in the movie and I may have missed that. Since he doesn't even have a name, it's not unrealistic that he has no age. There is a big emotional scene from Gerwig which surprised and shocked me. Then there is the ending which is unearned since the audience knows so little about the husband. We can't forgive him if we don't know him. It's a missed opportunity for the boy which is how I feel about this movie.