I thought this was a fine movie--good story, well-acted. However, I just couldn't get past the ages of the leads. Their whole situation was full of angst, more well-suited to a much younger pair of characters. I had a hard time believing that a couple of thirty-somethings would exhibit such petulance and uncertainty.
shareThe situation that led to Leonard's return to his parent's home threw him off balance, emotionally. You might say it temporarily regressed him.
Michelle was a woman who was dependent on a married man for everything in her life. She was not one to take responsibility.
Being dependents beyond adulthood does inhibit maturity.
His immaturity was, hopefully, temporary, due to circumstances. Hers was not. She would not change unless forced to.
"a malcontent who knows how to spell"
Good points, thank you!
shareYes. An astute and quite succinct response. The notion that such human behavior is isolated to adolescence is definitely a misnomer. Whether it be partially influenced by culture or society, the fact is that a great portion of the population (in this country, at least) is affected by some form of depression, feelings of inadequacy, and/or chemical dependency.
In this case, each character was deeply flawed and well-aware of it. The difference being, as noted in the initial response, is that only one of them had a true sense of hope that these flaws could be mended with time and care. Sadly, such situations occur quite regularly. Some individuals simply cannot bring themselves to accept help, or love, even when they know it's exactly what they need.
I think they were all conscious about the future and just riding/stuck in their present circumstances but just really living in the moment and hoping for change... certainly, this is not a chick flick... If characters were younger, the film would sacrifice complexity and sophistication
shareJust how old were the characters supposed to be? Joaquin was only like 33 when they shot this, but his character looked close to 40, or at least 35, yet he still lived with his parents.
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