I was hating this movie the first time. Then about half way through, it "clicked" for me and I understood what it was getting at. This is not an easy movie, it spoon feeds you nothing, but if you take a moment and pay attention you see it's all about dealing with alienation. The main characters are living in a strange, foreign land. They are both alienated from their significant others. Bill Murray's character is alienated from his job. Scarlett Johansson's character is completely apathetic.
They deal with this alienation by finding solace in one another, and this is greatly aided by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson's terrific chemistry (when they are apart, you long for them to be together again). But the movie goes one step further into unique territory and instead of a romance between the male and female leads, we instead see a friendship. Their love is a truly platonic one.
In the end it's easier to digest than a David Lynch film, but far more challenging than the latest action flick. It's almost a miracle that movies like this, small, wonderful movies, still get made.
They deal with this alienation by finding solace in one another, and this is greatly aided by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson's terrific chemistry (when they are apart, you long for them to be together again). But the movie goes one step further into unique territory and instead of a romance between the male and female leads, we instead see a friendship. Their love is a truly platonic one.
In the end it's easier to digest than a David Lynch film, but far more challenging than the latest action flick. It's almost a miracle that movies like this, small, wonderful movies, still get made.











