vandenfromcamden

Despite its awful title, this film had potential. I wanted to be able to like this doc and herald it as an important feminist work for opening the discussion between women of different cultures on what love and marriage means to them, but I'm so put off by Fox's seemingly willful ignorance about her own life that it negates the film's positives.

Fox is so self-obsessed and unwilling to admit her own role in the relationships she chooses and the realities of how most other relationships work that I find it nearly unbearable to watch. I think there's a way to eschew traditional relationship roles without being so selfish or purposefully oblivious that you can't sympathize with those who adhere more to traditional roles.

I mean, any single adult who enters into an ongoing sexual relationship with a married person and doesn't for a second think "what happens if we get discovered?" nor acknowledges in any way prior to being discovered that said discovery might be the catalyst in the demise of the adulterous relationship is a tad delusional.

And the whole "I don't get married because I've seen men do bad things and I don't want to get emotionally hurt" bent just seems so naive. What does marriage have to do with the capacity to be hurt emotionally? Obviously Fox was hurt by the fact that she couldn't talk to her lover after his wife discovered their sexual relationship. The only way to not open yourself up to being emotionally hurt by relationships is to not BE in any relationships, married or otherwise. Is that not common sense to liberal New York narcissists? Guess not.

Fox's annoying hubris is a shame, because if she could have just shut up about her own stupid life for a second, she might've had a good idea for a documentary—and it would have been a hell of a lot shorter than a tedious six hours. Instead we're presented with someone who proclaims her alleged freedom while showing us how miserable her decision to be "free" makes her. Um, hooray?

I went into this movie with absolutley no expectations, and it seems I was better off than a lot of people who reviewed it negatively. This is by far one of the best, most realistic romance films (or films in general) I've ever seen. Not everyone likes to be beaten over the head by unrealistic Cinderella stories, and this movie is perfect for people who are sick of funny and romantic "romps." Not to say it isn't both funny and romantic, because it is. It's just strikingly different from most. I loved the stark cinematography, the beautifully understated and timeless soundtrack and, most of all, the superbly real acting in this film. (Patricia Clarkson is God.) I enjoy the human comedy, even when it doesn't end on a tradtionally happy note, and this is right up there with "Harold and Maude" in my list of favorite relationship movies ever. The bottom line is this movie made me feel. Sometimes happy and sometimes sad, I never found myself disinterested in what would happen next. No, I don't recommend it if you're looking for the next "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." But if you're looking to feel something and can handle a film with pacing that allows you to analyze your emotions between scenes, this is it. Of course, it also helps that Paul Schneider is the cutest, quirkiest guy I've seen break down in a long time. Likewise, Zooey Deschanel's performance was authentic and devastating. I loved this movie.

Wow. I didn't have high hopes for a movie about the Tooth Fairy murdering kids, but come on! This movie (which I thankfully saw at a FREE preview) has infinitesimal plot holes and the most cardboard acting I've seen in a long time. Eh, but that's what you get when you fill the cast with people whose only experience is a few cameos in bad TV shows. Stay in the light, you say? Man, That's exactly what I should have done rather than go into the theater to see this. I recommend everyone do the same.