MovieChat Forums > May in the Summer (2013) Discussion > Thank God for Netflix

Thank God for Netflix

posted 9 years ago by fliphop
1 reply | jump to latest

this movie is absolutely ******* great.

i am not good at movie reviews but... i will try to describe anyways....

the cringe moments are so cringy. but true to life... if you have a "difficult family" you may find yourself saying "oh yes... this is what it is like... and why aren't there more movies like this?". it goes into the relationships between all the parties of a divorce, the kids, the new wife, the former wife, etc etc. so lovely to see it on film... in a way that is somehow, strangely comforting.

and this is a film i would never have a chance to see if not on netflix.

i also love seeing the "civilian middle east", in other words, a middle east that is not the explosions and spies and opulence and that i am used to seeing in american film. its just... the beautiful desert, people's houses, music, swimming beaches, streets, the city skyline, etc. the characters don't even talk about it much, it's just there. and i enjoyed that (as i have never been there).

i also love the earth-girl character, so funny. the sisters conversations are just great, simultaneously horrifying and humorous. and i love the actors. bill pullman especially since i grew up loving Spaceballs and Independence Day.

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As for this spoiler section, i especially love the way the movie used the vegetarianism of the daughter to indicate the poor connection the father had with his kids. And his painful attempts to advise and disadvise on massage therapy school. It was so brutal and yet so realistic. . . but not so brutal as to be cruel. The film seems to have a kind of ambient empathy, a sort of beautiful built in perspective on these people...

now i have a question about the film.... if Ziad had simply "been there", physically, would things have turned out differently? But then perhaps Ziad would not be Ziad if he had left his work like that. but... what is Ziad's story? does he realize what He has lost after this turn of events?

And what of this taxi driver man. He seems nice but is he not in truth a bit of a creep in a way (perhaps in the way that many young people are insensitive)? And yet there are some films where the 'happy ending' would be that May runs off with him. blech vomit. Sooooo glad that did not happen. Instead... she climbs up a small mountain to see the view. . . . I wish I knew the name for what she does when she stares at the landscape. . . is there something more there than is described in the dialogue ?? ? What would her inner thoughts say in these moments?

And... oh man, what is going on with the Mom and the Dad at the final moments? Or does it matter?

What I'm trying to say is... will there be a sequel? Or alternate? Sort of like "him" and "her" versions of the Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby? Or is it impossible.

Now the only thing that was weird for me is that I had to turn on the english subtitles on Netflix to hear the Arabic parts.... and turn them off during the english parts. But no big deal. On the plus side, I learned that "Shukran" is Thank You, which was cool. . . i had a few of those "oh wait, i know that word" moments which is awesome.

Also I want to know about the title. I do not "get it"... when I first saw it I was like "wait... uhm May is already in the summer?.. or .." ... is there some kind of Arabic play on words I dont get? Or am I just completely missing the point?

Anyways. Quite happy I got to see this.

[–] Jes' Sayin' (5958) 2 years ago

Yes, it's quite good. A very dramatic, comedic and believable story, and it doesn't tie everything up in a nice bow at the end. It leaves you think about the possibilities and potentials of what might happen.

I think with Ziad, what the mother said is correct. He's not the right guy for her (despite being a Star Trek guy - yay!). For one thing, he looks too old, but for another, May's description of their relationship makes it sound like he ingratiated his way into it. He read her drafts and prepared her meals and all these types of acts of service, but that may not be May's love language. Instead she wants him to spend quality time with her and that's exactly what he's not doing. Karim, the tour operator, may have a better potential for doing that.

What's going to happen with the parents is a much bigger question. Sounds like the father doesn't know himself well and things could go either way. Anu seems like a nice lady and it would be too bad, but maybe more recoverable, if he leaves her to return to the first wife.