Against the Wind: I think 'Fire' is a fantastic film
I see many comments where people have concluded that Things We Lost in the Fire is only so-so (or worse) as a film. Maybe I'm running against the wind, but I find a lot to like in it.
Without spoilers, let me say this much: If it were true that the film was merely portraying someone dealing with the loss of a loved one, I might agree with (some) of the negative comments. However, although loss is core to Fire, there is much more to what the film is exploring. The main character's (Audrey) trajectory is more centered in learning how to love than it is about learning to deal with loss. I'm thinking that the negative comments about the film didn't pick up on that.
For more "no spoilers" intro to the film, go here: http://piercedtotheheart.org/2012/things-we-lost-in-the-fire-before.
** SPOILERS FOLLOW **
Many of the negative comments I've read say that "nothing happened" or that the film was boring or that the extreme close-ups got in the way. There's likely a matter of acquired taste in the close-ups (I find that, when I take them as access points to smell and feel and temperature, etc., it takes me more richly into the film), but on the other objections, its important to understand Audrey's core issue.
We first see Audrey's key issue when she tries to keep Brian from going to visit Jerry. Her "love" needs to keep Brian to herself, and she's angry if he pushes back on that. She loses him because he cared for others and, even though Jerry had nothing to do with it, she transfers her anger toward Brian onto Jerry, who becomes a lightning rod for Audrey's confused and conflicted feelings about Brian and his death. Jerry's presence brings out Audrey's issues, allowing her to eventually grow toward learning to love and to let go of her selfish clinging to Brian.
Thus, the film's turning point is not when she breaks down in Brian's office, it is before that, when she learns how to love Jerry. Let's place that at the moment when the phone rings and, having it right next to her, she grabs it quickly and says, "Jerry?" There's also a lot in the film involved the Serenity Prayer and the way it speaks to Audrey's and Jerry's struggles.
When I watch Fire, I come away wanting to learn better how to love freely, in a way that gladly shares care and concern and relationship without thinking I own another's affections.
For more and deeper thoughts on what's going on in Things We Lost in the Fire, go here http://piercedtotheheart.org/2012/things-we-lost-in-the-fire-after.