The central question of the film is: Who is Leonard? Is he a misfit, a social recluse forced by his illness to move back with his parents as an adult? Or, is he Mr. Cool, able to go dancing with Michelle and her friends, and effortlessly meet each social challenge? All we know is that once upon a time he was dumped by his fiancé. This is apparently enough to send him into the depths of depression, even suicide.
We first meet Michelle literally fleeing from her screaming hysterical father with whom she lives, who is so threatening she must seek refuge in a stranger's (Leonard's) apartment. Yet we never once see or hear of the father again. Later we learn that her lover is paying for the apartment anyway, and when she breaks up him, she worries that he will stop paying the rent. What does her father have to do with anything? Did the writers forget he existed?
Speaking of the writers, I can hear them thinking: "Here's an idea! Let's have Michelle ask Leonard to accompany her on a dinner date with her lover. Cool! Awkward situation!" She wants – nay, insists upon -- Leonard's opinion as to whether or not her lover is a good guy and really likes her. What is this, junior high school? We have been told that Michelle has been around the block, has dabbled in drugs, she's been a wild woman. Yet is she so juvenile that she invites another guy on her date to size up her lover? And how about her lover? The dinner is anything but awkward: He asks Leonard (in confidence and without a tinge of irony) to "keep an eye on her for me", as if he would have no clue that Leonard might just possibly be a rival. Duh! Apparently that thought never entered his head.
Is there no end to Michelle's self-absorption? She is so eager to hear Leonard's opinion of her lover that she wakes him up the next morning at 6AM, summons him to the roof immediately, and demands he reveal his opinion. When he reluctantly renders his view that her lover is never going to leave his family (which later apparently turns out to be wrong – so much for Leonard's judgment), she instantly accepts this as irrefutable fact without question, even though Leonard had every selfish motive to see things that way, and she proceeds to fall apart. She immediately decides to break up with her lover. Apparently Leonard's analysis, coming from someone Michelle has just met and barely knows, carries such weight that she plans the rest of her life based on his opinion formed over one meeting at dinner. Is any part of this even half way believable? I kept watching in disbelief, thinking there has to be some point to all of this. In spite of this, I have to admit I kept watching the film straight through to the end. It is like passing a crash on a highway. No matter how hard you try, you can't avert your eyes.
Michelle is completely self-centered, obtuse, has absolutely zero consideration for Leonard, and exploits him shamelessly. Yet he loves her anyway. Although stupid on Leonard's part, this is not completely unbelievable, because love is often irrational. Michelle obviously doesn't give a thought about him at all except how he affects her immediate needs. She of course she has no problem whatsoever having sex with him – damn the consequences.
But Leonard is not the total innocent here. The situation with Leonard and Sandra is precisely the reverse. He is totally disinterested in her, she barely registers on his consciousness, and in fact, unbeknownst to her, he intends to dump her for Michelle. Of course the irony is that this is exactly what Michelle is about to do to Leonard, unbeknownst to him. Again, anyone with half a brain could spot this coming 10 miles away.
This is a drama of settling for second-bests. Initially Michelle settles for Leonard since she believes her lover is unobtainable, so why not run off with him? But she changes on a dime once her lover swears he is leaving his family, and she instantly dumps Leonard, no matter that Leonard has protested everlasting love and who would do anything for her. Unfair? Sure. But Leonard is exactly the same. Thinking he is about to run off with Michelle, he intends to dump Sandra. But once he himself is dumped by Michelle, he settles for second-best Sandra. In the end, Michelle, her lover, and Sandra get the partner they want – only Leonard doesn't. But of all the characters, only Sandra has been constant and true throughout.
The dialogue is shockingly amateurish. Example: "I have a surprise for you." "What is it?" "Well if I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?" "Ha ha ha. Oh, you're so weird." Or how about this gem - Leonard to Michelle: "I love you. I do. More than anyone." Ah, the poetry sends chills up my spine. Again, junior high students can do better than this.
I don't see the point or direction of this film. It doesn't seem to lead anywhere. The shocking question presented by the suicide attempt at the beginning of the film is left unanswered at the end. Is Leonard on the way back to mental health and recovery? He obviously has as much passion for Sandra as he has for his delivery job in his father's dry- cleaning establishment. She is a fallback solution only, neither good nor bad. Is this enough? Is he OK with this? Or will he plunge back into depression? Will he attempt suicide again? We simply don't know. For sheer soap opera interest, and for allowing us to watch Gwyneth Paltrow for a couple of hours, I'm giving this a generous 4.
We first meet Michelle literally fleeing from her screaming hysterical father with whom she lives, who is so threatening she must seek refuge in a stranger's (Leonard's) apartment. Yet we never once see or hear of the father again. Later we learn that her lover is paying for the apartment anyway, and when she breaks up him, she worries that he will stop paying the rent. What does her father have to do with anything? Did the writers forget he existed?
Speaking of the writers, I can hear them thinking: "Here's an idea! Let's have Michelle ask Leonard to accompany her on a dinner date with her lover. Cool! Awkward situation!" She wants – nay, insists upon -- Leonard's opinion as to whether or not her lover is a good guy and really likes her. What is this, junior high school? We have been told that Michelle has been around the block, has dabbled in drugs, she's been a wild woman. Yet is she so juvenile that she invites another guy on her date to size up her lover? And how about her lover? The dinner is anything but awkward: He asks Leonard (in confidence and without a tinge of irony) to "keep an eye on her for me", as if he would have no clue that Leonard might just possibly be a rival. Duh! Apparently that thought never entered his head.
Is there no end to Michelle's self-absorption? She is so eager to hear Leonard's opinion of her lover that she wakes him up the next morning at 6AM, summons him to the roof immediately, and demands he reveal his opinion. When he reluctantly renders his view that her lover is never going to leave his family (which later apparently turns out to be wrong – so much for Leonard's judgment), she instantly accepts this as irrefutable fact without question, even though Leonard had every selfish motive to see things that way, and she proceeds to fall apart. She immediately decides to break up with her lover. Apparently Leonard's analysis, coming from someone Michelle has just met and barely knows, carries such weight that she plans the rest of her life based on his opinion formed over one meeting at dinner. Is any part of this even half way believable? I kept watching in disbelief, thinking there has to be some point to all of this. In spite of this, I have to admit I kept watching the film straight through to the end. It is like passing a crash on a highway. No matter how hard you try, you can't avert your eyes.
Michelle is completely self-centered, obtuse, has absolutely zero consideration for Leonard, and exploits him shamelessly. Yet he loves her anyway. Although stupid on Leonard's part, this is not completely unbelievable, because love is often irrational. Michelle obviously doesn't give a thought about him at all except how he affects her immediate needs. She of course she has no problem whatsoever having sex with him – damn the consequences.
But Leonard is not the total innocent here. The situation with Leonard and Sandra is precisely the reverse. He is totally disinterested in her, she barely registers on his consciousness, and in fact, unbeknownst to her, he intends to dump her for Michelle. Of course the irony is that this is exactly what Michelle is about to do to Leonard, unbeknownst to him. Again, anyone with half a brain could spot this coming 10 miles away.
This is a drama of settling for second-bests. Initially Michelle settles for Leonard since she believes her lover is unobtainable, so why not run off with him? But she changes on a dime once her lover swears he is leaving his family, and she instantly dumps Leonard, no matter that Leonard has protested everlasting love and who would do anything for her. Unfair? Sure. But Leonard is exactly the same. Thinking he is about to run off with Michelle, he intends to dump Sandra. But once he himself is dumped by Michelle, he settles for second-best Sandra. In the end, Michelle, her lover, and Sandra get the partner they want – only Leonard doesn't. But of all the characters, only Sandra has been constant and true throughout.
The dialogue is shockingly amateurish. Example: "I have a surprise for you." "What is it?" "Well if I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?" "Ha ha ha. Oh, you're so weird." Or how about this gem - Leonard to Michelle: "I love you. I do. More than anyone." Ah, the poetry sends chills up my spine. Again, junior high students can do better than this.
I don't see the point or direction of this film. It doesn't seem to lead anywhere. The shocking question presented by the suicide attempt at the beginning of the film is left unanswered at the end. Is Leonard on the way back to mental health and recovery? He obviously has as much passion for Sandra as he has for his delivery job in his father's dry- cleaning establishment. She is a fallback solution only, neither good nor bad. Is this enough? Is he OK with this? Or will he plunge back into depression? Will he attempt suicide again? We simply don't know. For sheer soap opera interest, and for allowing us to watch Gwyneth Paltrow for a couple of hours, I'm giving this a generous 4.