I don’t dislike the film nearly as much as you do, but nor do I entirely love it. I think it’s incredibly intelligent in how thoroughly it explores its concept, and there are some great scenes of philosophical insight and crushing loneliness. But two things: 1) It was originally written as a straight drama, with Ramis instead angling it into a romcom with his rewrite. Not that he did so poorly, I just think he weakened the weight of the material and the humor can feel intrusive and out of place at times. 2) I’m just not that interested in this couple. As you say, Phil is a dick, and the ending should have just left him on a note of personal victory instead of heaping him with an absolute one. As for Rita, I’ve also just never really warmed to Andi MacDowell as an actress (a few exceptions aside).
So yeah, fascinating narrative exercise, but the tone they settled on is more a detraction than a boost, and it needed a stronger couple to anchor it on if they really wanted to fully sell the romcom spin.
I don’t dislike the film nearly as much as you do, but nor do I entirely love it. I think it’s incredibly intelligent in how thoroughly it explores its concept, and there are some great scenes of philosophical insight and crushing loneliness. But two things: 1) It was originally written as a straight drama, with Ramis instead angling it into a romcom with his rewrite. Not that he did so poorly, I just think he weakened the weight of the material and the humor can feel intrusive and out of place at times. 2) I’m just not that interested in this couple. As you say, Phil is a dick, and the ending should have just left him on a note of personal victory instead of heaping him with an absolute one. As for Rita, I’ve also just never really warmed to Andi MacDowell as an actress (a few exceptions aside).
ReplyDeleteSo yeah, fascinating narrative exercise, but the tone they settled on is more a detraction than a boost, and it needed a stronger couple to anchor it on if they really wanted to fully sell the romcom spin.