Broke my heart

I felt the same way emotionally the first time around. I was totally confused and saddened by the story. But on my second viewing I noticed several cleverly placed plot elements that helped me understand the relationship between the characters.

For instance, Zooey's character mentions at one point that she's been going to a boarding school for girls for several years, hinting that she probably didn't have much contact with boys, and she may not have known exactly how to deal with them.

Also, in one scene he mentions "I don't want to have sex with you", and Zooey is obviously a bit confused by that. She's been locked up in a girl's boarding school for years. She wants him to be attracted to her! She wants a man to desire her!

Also, he has a different attitude because of his experience and his reputation. In his mind he's respecting her, but in her mind it's a kind of rejection.

It helps you understand their emotions if you look deeper into the story and know a thing or two about psychology. It's great that they were able to work that into the movie.

Me, too!

*SPOILERS BELOW*



I am watching it now for a second time, having seen it for the first time last night.

I had zero expectations of this movie (other than knowing Zooey D. and Patricia C. would be in it -- I have liked other movies ZD has been in, and PC can do no wrong, in my eyes / if you like PC and haven't seen her in 'High Art', check it out -- she is fantastic as Greta in that movie and steals every scene she is in).

Anyway, I thought this film was beautifully constructed, beautifully shot, and painfully authentic.

I think that Noel wanted to have sex, and here she is with someone whom she obviously has feelings for (Paul) and who supposedly had sex with all these other girls in town, but is putting off having sex with her, even saying outright to her that he doesn't want to when he is in bed with her. Noel obviously is still growing up ('finding herself') after coming back to town from several years of being in the protected environment of an all girls boarding school. Not only does she have sex with another guy at the weekend party by the lake (which she DID invite Paul to, but he declined going), but she also cuts her hair, signifying her going through change. Other than Paul's obvious and realistic hurt stemming from her carelessly sleeping with another random guy (in fact, being deflowered by the guy), I think that he also had a difficult time dealing with Noel changing at all (which, given her age and her restricted life experiences, he should have had some expectation that she was still growing). For her part, Noel had a hard time first with Paul's sexual rejection (I believe) and then with Paul not being able to accept her, change and all, including that she indeed was capable of 'making a mistake'.

Funny that Noel ends up with the guy who she did not seem attracted to throughout most of the movie -- but he is someone who is persistent and doesn't mind hanging around and not taking 'no' for an answer. Maybe she felt that if Paul really wanted her, he would be just as persistent in wanting her back, warts and all, and if not, guy #2 would be a safe bet for her and would be happy to just accept her for her.

I would have loved to see Paul and Noel end up together, though. Instead, Noel seems to opt for guy #2 over Paul, although she says Paul 'has her heart'. Being a romantic female, that didn't make total sense to me. Not that I just wanted a Hollywood happy ending just to have a happy ending -- I was hoping for more of a positive resolution in favor of Paul and Noel ending up together because they seemed so right for each other.

*Sigh*

"I can't stand a naked light bulb, any more than..a rude remark or a vulgar action" Blanche DuBois

It was sad.

Schrodinger's cat walks into a bar, and / or doesn't.