Actors who have more to prove, or have a desire to try themselves in an unusual role, agree not for the sake of money, but for the sake of serving the art to star in an independent author's film. The "Romantics" tape is among those. Its budget was only four and a half million dollars, and collected a cashier many times smaller. Pictures such as “Romantics” are not shot for the masses, but for film festivals, so he talks about any box office and does not have to. Nevertheless, in “Romantics” they agreed to play Katie Holmes, Josh Duhamel, Anna Paquin, Malin Ackerman, Adam Brody and even the famous Frodo Baggins – Elijah Wood.
The whole picture, created by the efforts of Galt Niederhoffer, who wrote the script and then became its director, is woven from dialogue. In them, Galt Niederhoffer tried to express the deep feelings of former classmates gathered together on the eve of the wedding of two mutual friends. During this time, all sorts of skeletons are thrown out of closets, and the ghosts of past love begin to visit all participants of the action without exception. But someone copes with this alcohol, someone makes attempts to seclusion, but still do not hide and former love flares up unexpectedly with a very bright and large fire. In order to withstand all the discussions, you need to have a special perseverance in the film, because it seems that if you take off the screen for a few minutes or even a little more, you will not miss anything at all.
In addition, "Romantics" is a very depressing action. It seems that a wedding is a festive and cheerful event, but when the whole company of friends gathers together, then grayness sets in, the atmosphere fills with expectation of a squall wind and the clouds thicken before being thrown down by a shower. From such a vision, you want to run and run, because in life there are enough of your everyday life, your problems, and then the colors thicken so much that it becomes not that sad, but in general there is a crushing despondency. And even shots near the ocean are not happy - to be inside this "warm" company, there is no desire. If you really wanted to say that in “Romantics” tell the heroes about the urgent matters, why do they want to say that they collect their things and wash away, because they so blow cold, false, artificially strained smiles and certainly not deep, sensual words.
With such a background, the film hardly manages to stay afloat and only one moment could lift the film slightly higher than the lowest rating and this is the performance of the actors. The first violin was given to Katie Holmes. Who can tell me why they thought she was such a big actress? If she hadn’t married Tom Cruise, she would have had fewer paintings than she does now. Absolutely "no" game she shows even here in "Romantics". How did the main character love her, for what? For the fact that she can not even express her feelings normally, that even a muscle does not twitch on her face, for the fact that it is not clear whether she is sad or cheerful. A statistician. I can’t say that he should be grateful for his career to the famous singer Fergie, but the fact that he is increasingly associated with her husband is a reason for how he feels about his game. So in "Romantics" he goes all sad, all so concerned that to marry the unloved, apparently, more people in such a situation do not show the decision of Duhamel and went through the whole picture as if lowered into the water.
A little more emotion showed Anna Paquin. But she showed not in those moments when her future happy married life was collapsing before her eyes, but when her younger sister slightly spoiled her wedding dress. Is it permissible to call such a game good? Absolutely not. In general, the characters given to Adam Brody and Malin Ackerman escape from memory. And in general, the same question arose: what did they do there and what did they forget, what significance do their characters have in the film Romantics? Absolutely no, they really wanted to be in the role of extras? I wish I had a better movie. And only one of Elijah Wood's ever-drunk heroes was anything. And in principle, it was possible to understand: to be in this, if I may say, film, it was necessary to somehow pass the time for this nightmare to come to an end, so he drank. Well, Wood, we understand.
The film is about nothing, not about anyone or for anyone. And investing four and a half million dollars in this incomprehensible action could be spent wisely, for example, to become a philanthropist or give to charity, it would certainly be better.
The title and description of the film foreshadowed a good evening and a dream with a smile on his face. That wasn't the case.
I don’t like to blame movies, I always give them one or two points more than I think they deserve. I think any movie will find its audience. But then I decided to leave my opinion.
A message to the viewer who has not watched the film and reads reviews to decide whether he should do it or not: if you, the reader, want to get pure pleasure and good mood from the film, believe in love and marriage, do not especially want to stuff your head with thoughts like “What is it about?”, “What is going on?”, etc., then this film is not for you; if you, the reader, love art house, like to solve charades, well, or just love when the film leaves such a heavy, inexplicable impression, then dare – this is your film.
Well, that's it. All in order. Katie Holmes, the incomparable, pretty, languid, snub-nosed Katie. I want to warm her up with something heavy throughout the movie! From the outset, she poses a bunch of questions for the viewer - Why the hell did she come to the wedding of her ex, with whom she is still in love? What did she even forget? Decided to tickle the nerves of her best friend, who - here's the twist - is also the bride of that ex? Or she wanted to recapture her love from a friend, which, by the way, she kind of failed because... Oh, that's where we get to the warm-up heavy number 2, Josh Duhamel. His character, throughout the film, ducks into the head of his daughter-in-law, pulling out a smile for her, or walks around with a brooding sad look, I understand, romance, suffering from the tearing of his love for our heroine Katie. He loves the heroine of Katie kind of, but left her, as he does not understand whether he needs her or not. In general, I got the impression that Josh got the role of a confused man who is not suitable for male acts at all. By the end of the film, on the eve of the wedding, the viewer seems to be able to understand who has sympathy for whom, but no, anyway, at the end of the wedding, which... Well, I will not reveal all the cards, I will only say that in the end, nothing will change, and you will need to look for answers to the questions yourself in the twilight of a sleepless night, when you will not be able to close your eyes without understanding what you saw. It is also amazing that the authors of the script just faded with friends of the main characters who also came to the wedding. Two married couples, it seems, everything is fine, so no, it turns out that these too are “romantics”.
I have a painful impression from the film, in which we have people who have been dubbed romantics by their name, and their romanticism lies in betrayal, lies, unreliability and reasoning about the rustling of the grass when a car arrives.
3 out of 10
I watched the film Romance and for several days was impressed with the charming music in the film.
The actors were perfect for their roles. Josh Duhamel and Katie Holmes are just perfect. Katie Holmes showed the storm of emotions of a girl who was betrayed and who still loves and is ready to forgive her beloved. Her role is very emotional, a role I did not expect from this actress, in a good way. Anna Paquin also played well. Despite my dislike for her, I liked her performance and her presence in the film.
A good, kind film about the fact that time does not mean anything for the real feeling.
10 out of 10
Maybe this movie caught my mood and that’s why I liked it.
I can't think of myself as a Katie Holmes fan, but here she is. All the characters are surprisingly monotonous and little revealed. As for the plot and development of events (I read some reviews), the slowness of their development, some lethargy, in my opinion, is more plausible and closer to reality than in many romantic comedies or melodramas. After all, everything happens at the wedding: everything is ready for the wedding, the night is approaching, everything calms down and freezes. On this one night, people who have been asking questions, looking for answers, trying to fix their current lives, finally find the strength and courage to voice it all. Mistakes, doubts, misunderstandings - all this has accompanied them in recent years.
How often do we decide to end everything in minutes? How often do we decide to start over in seconds? How can you make a believable movie about a relationship, adding even more passion and movement?
When we doubt, when we think about something, time does not exist. When we take a decisive step, it rushes headlong ahead, taking the past with it, leaving only memories and hopes.
We don't know these friends very much, but they're friends with history, they have a lot to remember, but they don't have to say everything. They have something to fix and doubt, like most of us.
They are ordinary people, without specifying professions and social statuses, they can be any of us. They feel what we feel. They are just people, ordinary, with virtues and shortcomings, with fears and courage somewhere deep inside.
I would say that this film has no complaints. I'm still without them. The actors are not bad, but you could finish playing, add certainties to the characters, “tell” about the motives. Maybe everything was attributed to the fact that someone else’s soul is dark, and we can never know exactly what another person thinks, feels, how his attitude, priorities, desires change with time and experience.
As for romance, they were “romantic” in their youth, then, as often happens, everything settles down, enters the usual course of work and free time. The intensity of passions subsides somewhat, only thoughts, feelings, memories, hopes remain. One of these romantics chose a quiet harbor with no love tension in the relationship. Another agreed to the conditions, continued to build his life without romance, based on reason. It didn't bring them much happiness. Romance is shackled in the depths of the soul and only sometimes gives a voice, as in this wedding.
I would bet 5 for the script and 2 for the acting.
Total:
7 out of 10
I liked it. Reminds me of Jane Austen’s novels, when everything quietly and slowly in a small world gradually shifts from its place, changes, and then again falls into place – everything is as it should be. Nothing seems to have happened, but it's different. At all.
I decided to watch this movie because I liked the title. So much interesting, romantic and beautiful seemed. After all, the film claims to be an ode to romance. But there was little beautiful, even less romantic and almost nothing interesting.
I must say that the main couple of this film, actors Katie Holmes and Josh Duhamel, disgustingly played their roles. Oh, just wow. I don't know why I hate Holmes so much, but I've always wondered why she's an actress. You can see it with the naked eye, it's not hers. And the boy very unconvincingly showed his image. No passion, no love, no emotion, no madness, and which he repeatedly mentioned. Nothing. And as for the rest of the company, pleasant and familiar faces brought this musty picture to life a little: Elijah Wood, Rebecca Lawrence, Adam Brody, Candice Bergen, Anne Paquin - they all made smiles, albeit occasionally. I especially want to mention Anne Paquin. Quite an unusual appearance and an interesting character caught my attention and it was interesting to look at.
Now the plot. It's a disaster. Wedding, groom and bridesmaid love each other. Aren't they? Exactly, yes. But then -- attention. The creators decided to distinguish themselves from other similar paintings and came up with some “panic” that overtook the lover’s groom in a relationship with his beloved. The bridesmaid. In short, the groom could not be with his bridesmaid because he went crazy with her, his soul demanded stability and a calm predictable life, which he saw in the future life together with his bride, who by the way did not love. Hmm. Yes, romance. From a long way. And the saddest thing is that the idea is good and the script was sometimes worthy of praise, but the actors were picked out of hand badly. Where's the love?
And the final is the height of absurdity, completely suitable for this film.
The only thing I really liked was the songs in the movie. They also made the film as much as they could.
In general, a weak picture, which even the first time to look quite boring. The second one is out of the question.