Post by Quorthon on Sept 26, 2005 9:33:33 GMT -5
XX/XY
Drama/Romance
2002
Color
MPAA Rating: R
Directed by: Austin Chick
USA
If there's one thing I've learned from life (among the millions of other things, I mean) is that, by god, relationships are really hard. And you know what I've learned from movies that pertains to relationships? That they're really damn hard. Especially if your relationship happens to be a "Threesome" that just brings you "Closer" to the brink of insanity...
This film stars Mark Ruffalo as a guy with, let's call it, "emotional problems." The story focuses on Ruffalo and a three-way relationship he had with two women in his college days. Eventually, his relationship with the two ladies becomes complicated with "feelings" and "emotions" and stuff and falls all apart. Years later, he runs into the one of his old sex-buddies--the one he was closer to--and eventually the three of them becomes friends again. Sort of. Everyone is in seperate relationships by this time, so the idea of jump-starting old feelings and relationships becomes complicated. Well, then, of course, all kinds of craziness ensues--and I'll leave that up to you to see for yourself.
Here’s the breakdown:
The Good:
--The acting is great--especially from Mark Ruffalo.
--Good music.
--Good character development.
--Interesting story.
Didn’t Hurt It, Didn’t Help:
--Decent cinematography.
--Decent atmosphere--although "lonely"--as it focuses on Mark Ruffalo's character, we get the feeling that he's really unsatisfied with his life.
--Character development rather uneven from the college days to the later days.
The Bad:
--The characters are pretty self-centered. Empathy doesn't exist here.
--The film has kind of a negative tone, all-around, and the ending feels kind of unsatisfying--it didn't go out with a bang of any kind--more like a wimper. It worked alright for the story, but wasn't very strong.
The Ugly:
--Mark Ruffalo's hairy ass.
Memorable Scene:
--When Mark Ruffalo is approached by a "fan" who saw the film he made--and he tells Ruffalo what he actually thought of the film.
Acting: 9/10
Story: 8/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Cinematography: 7/10
Character Development: 8/10
Special Effects/Make-up: 0/10 (none)
Nudity/Sexuality: 3/10 (decent sex scene in the beginning, one scene later)
Violence/Gore: 0/10 (none)
Dialogue: 8/10
Music: 8/10 (average for the time)
Writing: 8/10
Direction: 8/10
Cheesiness: 1/10
Crappiness: 0/10
Overall: 8/10
This is a far more somber and serious film than "Threesome" and doesn't quite have the character development of "Closer." If you like either or both of these films, you'll likely enjoy "XX/XY," and like I said, only the ending is kind of a let-down. It's somewhat slower-moving that those other two.
Drama/Romance
2002
Color
MPAA Rating: R
Directed by: Austin Chick
USA
If there's one thing I've learned from life (among the millions of other things, I mean) is that, by god, relationships are really hard. And you know what I've learned from movies that pertains to relationships? That they're really damn hard. Especially if your relationship happens to be a "Threesome" that just brings you "Closer" to the brink of insanity...
This film stars Mark Ruffalo as a guy with, let's call it, "emotional problems." The story focuses on Ruffalo and a three-way relationship he had with two women in his college days. Eventually, his relationship with the two ladies becomes complicated with "feelings" and "emotions" and stuff and falls all apart. Years later, he runs into the one of his old sex-buddies--the one he was closer to--and eventually the three of them becomes friends again. Sort of. Everyone is in seperate relationships by this time, so the idea of jump-starting old feelings and relationships becomes complicated. Well, then, of course, all kinds of craziness ensues--and I'll leave that up to you to see for yourself.
Here’s the breakdown:
The Good:
--The acting is great--especially from Mark Ruffalo.
--Good music.
--Good character development.
--Interesting story.
Didn’t Hurt It, Didn’t Help:
--Decent cinematography.
--Decent atmosphere--although "lonely"--as it focuses on Mark Ruffalo's character, we get the feeling that he's really unsatisfied with his life.
--Character development rather uneven from the college days to the later days.
The Bad:
--The characters are pretty self-centered. Empathy doesn't exist here.
--The film has kind of a negative tone, all-around, and the ending feels kind of unsatisfying--it didn't go out with a bang of any kind--more like a wimper. It worked alright for the story, but wasn't very strong.
The Ugly:
--Mark Ruffalo's hairy ass.
Memorable Scene:
--When Mark Ruffalo is approached by a "fan" who saw the film he made--and he tells Ruffalo what he actually thought of the film.
Acting: 9/10
Story: 8/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Cinematography: 7/10
Character Development: 8/10
Special Effects/Make-up: 0/10 (none)
Nudity/Sexuality: 3/10 (decent sex scene in the beginning, one scene later)
Violence/Gore: 0/10 (none)
Dialogue: 8/10
Music: 8/10 (average for the time)
Writing: 8/10
Direction: 8/10
Cheesiness: 1/10
Crappiness: 0/10
Overall: 8/10
This is a far more somber and serious film than "Threesome" and doesn't quite have the character development of "Closer." If you like either or both of these films, you'll likely enjoy "XX/XY," and like I said, only the ending is kind of a let-down. It's somewhat slower-moving that those other two.
