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Reviews
While We're Young (2014)
Film that praises today's narcissistic mentality and mistakens it for youth
The film has a good start and seems promising but as we go further and we understand that Jamie (Driver's character) is morally ambiguous ,things start to get confusing. What the 40 year old couple was seeing in the young, creative and passionate couple doesn't exist, as we discover that they are faking everything.
Driver's character could be the perfect example of a person affected by a narcissistic personality disorder, manipulating his benefactors and friends to obtain personal profit, with no sense of guilt for his lying even when caught, and no care for anyone (including his spouse) but for himself ("Jamie cares only for Jamie" says his wife). Everyone around him is just a tool for his success.
But what is upsetting is that this ,in the end, doesn't really seem to care anyone! Naomi's father ,the great film maker who had a public speech about the meaning of integrity in documentaries, now says it's ok, Driver's act isn't a crime ...! Even to Ben's character (who is surprisingly so immature that fails to make his point on why is wrong to deceive people and enforce this opinion) seem to care less in the end when he admits that (referring to Driver's character) "you 're right. He's not a bad person. He's just young!" This way he buries his dignity even deeper and he accepts both the role of a victim and a failure.
This film teaches us that youth = being a narcissist and it is ok to lie and deceive if you are young...Plus ,people in their forties are totally naive and useless and the fact that a person keeps his integrity is not of much value but even worst: is actually a weakness similar to aging... because being honest and real can't bring you success.
I think the movie doesn't really do justice to the characters of Ben and Naomi ,and this is a huge dissatisfaction. They don't really discover or even understand where their true value and their authentic way lies as someone would expect from the ending. But they seem to accept Driver's victory and continue their boring life hoping that a baby will solve everything. What a cliche'...
Tulip Fever (2017)
I felt stupid while watching this movie
Afrter reading about the main cast I was sure that is gonna be a good movie ,especially thanks to Vikander, as she is enormously talented. Also a love story based on historic period in 1600 , what more could I ask for? But....how bad this movie is!! I'm not a detail obsessed person but this has gone way too far. Where to even start?
Of course the main problem is the plot. I could even close an eye to the poor scenery (in all the film all you see is a crowdy street of Amsterdam) but the script is really stupid. Period.
Nothing is convincing, the characters are naive and don't have any personality ,acting in random ways, the movie is full of unbelievable misfortunes and irritating change plots that only proves the lack of a serious and profoundly thought script. The result is a vague sense of bad taste throughout the film and of ridiculousness and it wasn't even ment to be a comedy!The main couple of the film, the two lovers...we barely get the chance to know them and already they are "in love" something that they seem to try hard. There is zero chemistry, mainly due to the male actor who is absolutely anexpressive and passive. Alicia makes all the effort to put some passion and credibility in the role but of course she fails because everything else is a mess...I don't really know why they chose him to be next to Vikander ,he's not even likeable. Not him nor Cara Delevigne whom they tried to fit in every scene with Amsterdam people. Also the movie seems to think to compensate the lack of a real meaning to all this ,with unnecessarily numerous sex scenes between the actors (even delevigne in a random scene) And it's disturbing because there is zero effort to introduce us to the personality of the characters and already they slap to our face their nude scenes every 10'. No need to say they left me indifferent.
I was so sad seeing Alicia try to bring her role to the end but her own confusion shows and can only mirror the spectators confusion.
Too bad. The title, the actors and the plot...could have been a good movie..