I have a lot of negative reviews; not because I dislike a lot of films but 'cause I mainly review films I wanted to like but didn't or just a random review without reason (which is why I have some good reviews.) This one "I wanted to like." There's nothing special about this film. It's a regular clichéd romance film reminiscent of the early 2000's. There's no real investment in a character, there's not enough of an emotional quality to any of the characters to really attach yourself to, in my opinion. The flashback in the beginning doesn't even play well because it comes too quick without an establishment of why it's flashing back, you know? So, it's seemingly meaningless in its delivery; and it goes to the present without any real indication that so much time has passed.
If one looks closely they can see this is clearly paint-by-numbers. The direction, and the writing. But not really that good of a paint-by-numbers because while it displays all the attributes nothing really seems natural (natural would denote the occasion of coloring outside of the lines.) I did love the beginning (minus the flashback scene, as mentioned above), it had a good feel to it but then it quickly just faltered from there. The clichés were boundless and not even well put together. There's no real dramatic moments (even the horrible secret that the lead female character holds about her daughter which is only a 'secret' to one person -- everyone else knows.) No real comedic moments. No real romantic moments. No real anything.
The two best things about the film is the music and the cinematography. Those are the best aspects of the film and if this was a documentary on Jazz/Classic Rock and not a love story, probably would have worked. What I really disliked was that everyone sounded the same. The same voice tones, pitch, vernacular etc., except for the character of Sylvie's father, Lucy and the French guy; but the French guy didn't even sound French even though the actor playing him is French. There's actually a short scene where a white woman mentions how Sylvie's 'husband' sounded 'white' over the phone. While I wouldn't agree with that, I did notice the sameness in most everyone. That's just not realistic of the time period. Of course, many things in this isn't realistic for the time period but the focus is the love story but it failed at that, for me.
The worst part: Sylvie does a horrible thing and that's it. No consequence. The last 30 minutes of the film seems to be contrary to how anyone would react to those types of situations; madly in love or not. And the daughter. While some children are in their own worlds this one seemed to be fodder. She was there as a prop not a character. That, in itself, is horrible. Also, this film made it seem as if Jazz was dead in the 60s, hard for Jazz musicians to sell a record. Um, Coltrane's "Ascension"? Or Miles Davis's "In a Silent Way"? Or Wayne Shorter's " Speak No Evil"? Or Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong etc., All huge in the 1960s. Apparently in this film Stevie Wonder killed Jazz.
If one looks closely they can see this is clearly paint-by-numbers. The direction, and the writing. But not really that good of a paint-by-numbers because while it displays all the attributes nothing really seems natural (natural would denote the occasion of coloring outside of the lines.) I did love the beginning (minus the flashback scene, as mentioned above), it had a good feel to it but then it quickly just faltered from there. The clichés were boundless and not even well put together. There's no real dramatic moments (even the horrible secret that the lead female character holds about her daughter which is only a 'secret' to one person -- everyone else knows.) No real comedic moments. No real romantic moments. No real anything.
The two best things about the film is the music and the cinematography. Those are the best aspects of the film and if this was a documentary on Jazz/Classic Rock and not a love story, probably would have worked. What I really disliked was that everyone sounded the same. The same voice tones, pitch, vernacular etc., except for the character of Sylvie's father, Lucy and the French guy; but the French guy didn't even sound French even though the actor playing him is French. There's actually a short scene where a white woman mentions how Sylvie's 'husband' sounded 'white' over the phone. While I wouldn't agree with that, I did notice the sameness in most everyone. That's just not realistic of the time period. Of course, many things in this isn't realistic for the time period but the focus is the love story but it failed at that, for me.
The worst part: Sylvie does a horrible thing and that's it. No consequence. The last 30 minutes of the film seems to be contrary to how anyone would react to those types of situations; madly in love or not. And the daughter. While some children are in their own worlds this one seemed to be fodder. She was there as a prop not a character. That, in itself, is horrible. Also, this film made it seem as if Jazz was dead in the 60s, hard for Jazz musicians to sell a record. Um, Coltrane's "Ascension"? Or Miles Davis's "In a Silent Way"? Or Wayne Shorter's " Speak No Evil"? Or Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong etc., All huge in the 1960s. Apparently in this film Stevie Wonder killed Jazz.