Making a victim All My Friends Hate Me is the debut feature film by Andrew Gaynord.
The story, on the one hand, is interesting, because I tried to tell about a person who considers himself the center of the universe, on the other hand, she did not have enough creativity to withstand the form to reveal this topic.
Pete goes to the country house of his university friend George to celebrate his 31st birthday. There should gather all those with whom he more or less normally communicated during training, as well as his girlfriend Sonya. Pete arrives in the house in a car with deafening music from open windows, but there is no one in the house.
It sounds intriguing, just as the whole thing begins. In fact, the film is very beautiful shooting – the camera work here deserves attention. The plans themselves are beautiful, like photos for a magazine about the charms of rural life in the UK. The ones that show daytime are full of color, the ones in the room are made so that all objects are clearly visible, that is, the light is exhibited wonderfully. Each room that the characters enter is like a cave and richly decorated, all this absorbs Pete with its rich red-blue cold tones, making him look small and inconspicuous. Each door is slightly open, creating a maze of casual eavesdropping.
The “choreography” of movements is built well – it is normal to track the logic of communication of all characters with the hero. Only a gap remains, for a complete immersion lacks the integrity between the central idea and the embodiment. But the faint sympathy for the film still warms up, because the situation shown looks familiar and a little familiar.
I think it was possible to make the film a sarcastic comedy with an “accent” under Sheldon Cooper or Dr. House, so that the image of Pete turned out to be more vivid, voluminous, expressive. Add more contradictions to his character, for example. I didn’t have enough charisma and reasons to connect with him and start worrying. I was more interested in watching Harry with his eccentric antics (appearance with a goose in hand, running with an axe on a forest edge, spontaneous notes in a notebook), and he is not the main character at the same time. And the timing of the film is only an hour and a half to get carried away by secondary persons, when every minute counts.
In the spotlight (his and the audience) Pete. It seems to him that everything that happens around is aimed at hurting his feelings. And he willingly takes offense. All My Friends Hate Me illustrates a psychological situation like victim syndrome. Psychology refers to the “victim syndrome” as a personality trait or habit of considering oneself hostage to circumstances and humbly tolerating resentment from others. The “victim” refuses to grow up and therefore to make decisions and take responsibility. The partridge hunting scene is just suitable for supporting the image - there is just Pete's attempt to defend himself while the notorious everyone surrounds him with guns. Psychologists suspect the victim has hidden reasons for this position. If a person is in fear and distrust of the world around him, then something inside frightens him, and this was formed at an early age. But the film does not have a particularly detailed elaboration of Pete's image with his inner elements. Therefore, in the end, there is no enchanting feeling, integrity and a clear understanding of what the director wanted to say.