Conversations with Other Women
Well, that was something. All Helena and Aaron Eckhart all the time, each in one frame of a split-screen format, a pure dialog movie without even the change of scenery that Before Sunrise had, and it takes place almost entirely in real-time.
Well, that's not exactly accurate because as the story unfolds in near-real time in one frame we occasionally get flashbacks to similar scenes in another frame. In addition to the usual format of each character in a separate frame, the split screens can reveal a character's psychological or emotional reaction, an echoed moment from the past, or a memory. Aronofsky did something very similar for a scene in Requiem for a Dream to highlight the disconnection between two people together.
Despite this gimmick the movie is very much focused on the two characters and what unfolds between them in one night (after his sister's wedding) as they re-unite for a brief affair in her hotel room before she returns to England. The split screen is not as distracting as you would imagine as most of the focus is one the constant back-and-forth conversation between the two. Since the movie primarily communicates the story through sound you are free to relax and observe the visual portion of the film without needing to focus on anything. (on that note, you could probably re-watch this movie a couple times and pick up on different things with each viewing).
I have to admit I was completely into it for the entire 84 minutes. This movie is going to live and die with the strength of the characters and writing (and how much was improvised by HBC and AE?). My only qualms were with the characters' (especially married Helena's) frequent acknowledgment that they were making a mistake yet unwillingness to change course. It is easier to believe in two people committing adultery by giving into overwhelming passion (even if they know it is a mistake- see Adrian Lyne's Unfaithful). The lead up to the sex in this movie was like they new they had to do it for the movie even if they didn't want to. In fairness, by the end of the movie we had learned more about the characters and the affair didn't seem as awkward and unmotivated as it did in the beginning. You could see the rationale for sleeping with an ex whom you left abruptly long ago and still think of and miss, and by the end we knew enough to see how that night could be fated and how they could be drawn to it despite themselves.
If the movie was flawed it was in the beginning. By trying too hard to be mysterious they just came off as weird and irrational. I can take film that tosses us into the story without spoon-fed character introduction but they should at least play straight with us and let us get to know them. The movie went out of it's way to have the characters talk about their past in the third person. I suppose with how little the movie had to offer in terms of story and plot they felt they needed something to build up a little intrigue. It just made it hard to get into the relationship when you were starting off with misinformation.
Overall, surprising and better then I had hoped. Held on to my attention much more then flashier movies (the recent Body Shots debacle comes to mind- then again, starring Tara Reid and Jerry O'Connell should be a sufficient warning of things to come). Even if the characters were a bit unlikable and occasionally irrational, the story it told about their relationship was good.
Oh, but I'm not buying Aaron Eckhart as a law student with that hair from the flashbacks.
Also- thanks to Pajiba for pointing out the obvious bonus of (and possible motivating factor for) filming it in split-screen: It allows us to see both characters simultaneously rather then cutting back and forth for reaction shots and line delivery.
Well, that was something. All Helena and Aaron Eckhart all the time, each in one frame of a split-screen format, a pure dialog movie without even the change of scenery that Before Sunrise had, and it takes place almost entirely in real-time.
Well, that's not exactly accurate because as the story unfolds in near-real time in one frame we occasionally get flashbacks to similar scenes in another frame. In addition to the usual format of each character in a separate frame, the split screens can reveal a character's psychological or emotional reaction, an echoed moment from the past, or a memory. Aronofsky did something very similar for a scene in Requiem for a Dream to highlight the disconnection between two people together.
Despite this gimmick the movie is very much focused on the two characters and what unfolds between them in one night (after his sister's wedding) as they re-unite for a brief affair in her hotel room before she returns to England. The split screen is not as distracting as you would imagine as most of the focus is one the constant back-and-forth conversation between the two. Since the movie primarily communicates the story through sound you are free to relax and observe the visual portion of the film without needing to focus on anything. (on that note, you could probably re-watch this movie a couple times and pick up on different things with each viewing).
I have to admit I was completely into it for the entire 84 minutes. This movie is going to live and die with the strength of the characters and writing (and how much was improvised by HBC and AE?). My only qualms were with the characters' (especially married Helena's) frequent acknowledgment that they were making a mistake yet unwillingness to change course. It is easier to believe in two people committing adultery by giving into overwhelming passion (even if they know it is a mistake- see Adrian Lyne's Unfaithful). The lead up to the sex in this movie was like they new they had to do it for the movie even if they didn't want to. In fairness, by the end of the movie we had learned more about the characters and the affair didn't seem as awkward and unmotivated as it did in the beginning. You could see the rationale for sleeping with an ex whom you left abruptly long ago and still think of and miss, and by the end we knew enough to see how that night could be fated and how they could be drawn to it despite themselves.
If the movie was flawed it was in the beginning. By trying too hard to be mysterious they just came off as weird and irrational. I can take film that tosses us into the story without spoon-fed character introduction but they should at least play straight with us and let us get to know them. The movie went out of it's way to have the characters talk about their past in the third person. I suppose with how little the movie had to offer in terms of story and plot they felt they needed something to build up a little intrigue. It just made it hard to get into the relationship when you were starting off with misinformation.
Overall, surprising and better then I had hoped. Held on to my attention much more then flashier movies (the recent Body Shots debacle comes to mind- then again, starring Tara Reid and Jerry O'Connell should be a sufficient warning of things to come). Even if the characters were a bit unlikable and occasionally irrational, the story it told about their relationship was good.
Oh, but I'm not buying Aaron Eckhart as a law student with that hair from the flashbacks.
Also- thanks to Pajiba for pointing out the obvious bonus of (and possible motivating factor for) filming it in split-screen: It allows us to see both characters simultaneously rather then cutting back and forth for reaction shots and line delivery.
Though it is somewhat grating at first, it ultimately works, allowing the audience to see each side of the conversation as it happens without having to break away for a reaction shot. There is a lot going on in each actor’s face of one side of the equation while the other is speaking, and both Eckhart and Bonham-Carter take excellent advantage of the opportunity to emote. In fact, though both Eckhart and Bonham-Carter have a string of great performances behind them, there’s a heartbreaking nuance in their split-screen performances here that rises to a level unmatched in either’s previous work.
1 comment:
Even though the split screen got on my nerves after a while, I liked this film. Aaron Eckhart was great. His role required a bit more acting and debth than Helena but he nailed it. It told a great story. And I agree with you on the law student thing. NOt with that hair. Unless it was environmental law.
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