Hi guys.
I found the autograph scene quite weird. All of a sudden there was a change in mood (resulting in the waitress refusing to give the block of paper to Paul for him to write his autograph on it). What triggered this abrupt change of the situation ?
thank you,
Mandy
please, have mercy ....
I'm dying to know .... :(
Actually,the waitress never gave him the block of papers.She didn't want his autograph at all.He imagined that she admires his genius work and wants his autograph but all she wanted was to know whether his actor friend is single or not.
The imaginary part starts after Paul told her the title of the movie he wrote.This is why "the change in the mood" takes place after the repetition of the movie title--->back to reality.
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I can't deny what I believe!
That's true! oh, you're clever!
I don't think it was very well filmed though. I mean, how was the viewer supposed to know? Up till that point, there were no indications of Paul experiencing hallucinations and after point in the film, it also took quite a while for them to appear.
Actually they started for a reason. They started when he was locked inside his room for several days. Beforehand, there wouldn't have been any reason for Paul losing his mind, isn't it ?
Mandy
First,thank you so much for calling me clever!
Well,I think that this scene wasn't intended to be a hallucination.It's much more like wishful thinking.Paul didn't accept the fact that he was single and everybody he cared about wasn't there anymore.He needs a real emotional connection with someone.When the waitress came up to him,he started daydreaming which is pretty normal and can happen to anyone considering what we know about his life.
In my opinion,Paul started losing his head before he was locked inside his room.He was suffering from emotional losses he couldn't cope with.The dreams he had about the clown was an indication of the beginning of his inevitable breakdown as it merged the reality with the dream to an extent that blurs the borders between them.
The waitress didn't ask again about his work.I think Paul answered once but the repetition was there to show us the difference between what he wished for and what really happens.We watch the scene goes smoothly between them then suddenly we hear Paul saying the title of his movie again(as an indicator of the exact moment he swayed away from reality-to make us notice something was wrong) and we watch the real reaction of the waitress.
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I can't deny what I believe!
N-mind, that's a very thorough analysis, establishing important points (but what else did we expect from a clever folk :)
I find it quite interesting to pick up on small (some would argue "it's just a block of paper") details, because sometimes, as you study them, you find that they interconnect various elements of the plot and help you understand the whole situation.
Thanks again for sharing your wisdom, that made me enjoy the movie a great deal more.
Cheers,
Mandy
I also weren't aware of the movie title being repeated. How did that take place? Is the waitress shown to ask the movie title a second time? Or how come that he repeats the title ?
shareOkay, N-mind, here I'm again. I just found a youtube clip showing the scene we were talking about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpkPYoCerB0
I have looked at it again, and honestly find it not quite perfectly executed. I mean, there is no cut, no fade-to-black, no phrase that would be repeated IDENTICALLY, ... virtually nothing that indicates that there are two storylines, one true and one imaginary.
I mean, you are completely right in your analysis, but I guess most people seeing that scene would just say they are acting a bit strange.
but I guess most people seeing that scene would just say they are acting a bit strange.
Sorry for not replying earlier.I've just seen your update,I didn't get any notifications!!
Well, I think people who commented were confused because they didn't take into consideration the mental state of the protagonist so they tried to find an excuse for the girl to act the way they watched by assuming she was acting nice not to make him jealous.
Why would the waitress care whether Paul is jealous or not?! To her, he's just a customer who isn't interested in her- as far as she knows.
I stick to my analysis :-)
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I can't deny what I believe!
Not having a transition is precisely the point. Paul is beginning his nervous breakdown, and you're supposed to be as confused as he is. Reality/fantasy are intersecting, and it confuses him. You're not supposed to be able to tell right away what is true and what isn't. For instance, the whole Hunter/Rusty name change with the guy at the grocery store. At first you wonder if it's just a mistake, but then you realize that Paul's mind is starting to go.
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