Last year, between the two of us, we watched an average of 317 movies.
This year our goal is to top that by watching at least one a day.
And as an extra special torture, we've decided to write about all of them.

09 July 2008

The Good Night, dir. Jake Paltrow (2007)

NIKKI says:
Sometimes I wish that you could just hit the sack and never wake up. If your favorite song never ended, or your best book never closed, if the emotions mustered from these things would just go on and on, who wouldn't want to stay asleep? The guy who discovers that perpetual dream, he's my man.


There are some really truthful moments in this film, particularly between Gary and Dora, as they hit the wall in their life together that reveals to each just how boring and selfish the other can be. Dora responds by taking some time away from the relationship. Gary responds by trying to find a way to permanently live inside his dreams where the perfect woman waits to arouse him every time he falls asleep.

Their diverging paths are the best thing about this movie, which is essentially an absurdist take on reality, living life to the fullest, and recognising the good around us.

The movie was written and directed by Gwyneth's brother, Jake Paltrow, and if this is anything to go by, he's a writer with some strange and interesting ideas. There's a lot of artistry in this film, a lot of small and clever details that strengthen character and plot development. The Danny DeVito character is particularly affecting, especially near the end of the film when his true existence is revealed to Gary. Paltrow has a great ability to create complete characters, with idiosyncrasies and nuanced behaviour. This could have been a film that was all ideas, instead it's a full story about people at personal crossroads who go to extreme lengths to recapture the meaning in their lives.

I don't know if I agreed with the ending, but it definitely made me think about dreams and reality, and how each ultimately affects the other.

3/5

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