Philip Seymour Hoffman, with "Capote" won the 78th (2006) Academy Award for Best Actor, an authentic actor. But more often, he appeared in front of us with various supporting roles, and has dazzling performance in many classic films such as "Scent of a Woman", "Genius Pulit", and "Pirate Radio". Regrettably, Hoffman passed away in 2014, leaving behind the only director's work-"Jack Going Rowing".
The literal English translation of the film is "Jack Goes Boating" (Jack Goes Boating), which is simple and straightforward, because the film is based on a drama of the same name staged in New York. This simple naming heralds those romantic, crazy and touching love scenes. It will be scattered by the oars like a reflection on the surface of the water, and you look around suddenly, only to find that something is missing.
In New York, an international metropolis full of romance, countless scripts can be written about the comedies and tragedies about love that are staged every day. But under the gorgeous neon piling up of desires and interests, have you noticed those passers-by who hurried by your side? Perhaps there is a middle-aged fat man who likes to wear headphones and a knitted hat when he carries a big black satchel. How would you imagine a love story about him when walking on the snowy streets of New York with your hands in your pockets?
The single fat Jack looks a little dull, simple and honest, and has a mini circle of friends of his own. He carefully manages his life, as if everything is under control, except-love. Friends Clyde and his wife introduced him to a partner, and in the short time they got along, they got a good impression of each other. Jack is finally ready to start his journey of chasing love, while Connie needs to deal with her messy life and regain her fragile heart (family unfortunately and repeatedly harassed, and attacked on the subway). In this state, a sense of lightness, like snowflakes floating outside the window in New York in early winter, was slowly covering the two of them. The Clyde couple helped Jack slowly walk into the palace of love, but their own marriage inevitably fell into a quagmire. The budding love and the dying marriage went side by side, adding to the dramatic tension of the film.
Jack tried to walk into Connie, learn to swim for her boating plan, and learn to cook for her. These simple steps are a simple result, while his friend Clyde needs to face a more complicated situation-emotional After the derailment and betrayal, the difficult and slow healing process, Jack prepared to experience the beauty of love in the cracks between them, and tried his best for it; on the other hand, he had to listen to the pity and distrust of the seemingly incompatible couple in front of him. In their marriage, you will never see that kind of beautiful things anymore. Clyde's inability to save just exposes the anxious hearts of most people in modern cities. Self-righteous attempts to control his own life, wandering on the edge of various morals, curious and full of jealousy, and finally tastes emptiness by himself. At the end of the film, Clyde watched Jack and Connie start a new life with eyes of shame and sorrow. This was the price he paid for it.
Although the film is a low-key and plain little character love story, it uses many interesting expressions when showing the protagonist's pursuit of love. Jack was walking on the street, practicing his swimming skills involuntarily. He raised his head to the left regularly to learn to breathe. On the flyover, he slid his arms in front of the traffic, and the picture was stacked in the swimming pool. In this huge New York City At this moment, Jack imagines that he is already swimming. In the background is "Eat Yourself" by the Ice Gold Band, which is gloomy and cold, creating an asymmetrical romance. You will be a little surprised that this song is more suitable for appearing in "Don't Let The sad literary tunes in "I Go" are joined with the slow-thinking fat man in front of me.
Jack closed his eyes and repeated the cooking action again and again, chanting the cooking process and techniques: The picture shows Connie staring at the frozen lake, fantasizing about boating in the sun; it is Clyde's wife talking on the phone with his old lover; I am swimming in the pool; I am Clyde stuck in the noisy traffic...These pictures alternate with Jack’s cooking. Jack depicts every step of himself, and everything around him is proceeding at his own pace, but some can Changes, some are already doomed. At this time, the background music is "Dearly Departed" (affectionate curtain call), melodious singing, affectionate melody is a call for love, about to begin, and about to end, heralding the final ending of these two men and women.
The last part of the dinner. The four people smoked marijuana and fell into the illusion of joy. This hypocritical release is like a malignant tumor that cannot be eradicated. It is buried deep there. You can only revel in the simple place, always waiting for a more severe sentence. And the plate of spare ribs that was forgotten in the oven and finally came out of smoke and the old lover of Clyde's wife who suddenly visited, finally reminded everyone to come back to reality and accept what you should face. The conflict full of drama, people's exaggerated behavior, Jack fell into fear and guilt and hid in the toilet, while the Clyde couple and Connie sang the old 70s song "Babylon River" outside the door to comfort him. , And then the conflict between the Clyde couple completely broke out. Still in this joyous dance, the chaotic dinner became even more comic... Ironically, it was this time that the Clyde couple’s marriage completely collapsed. , Prompting Connie and Jack to walk together. Compared with those ugly suspicions and abuse, plain and tranquility has become the most correct key to the palace of love.
Love is not the incarnation of beauty, it is more of mutual recognition and need. Sometimes looking at this kind of love sketches without big ups and downs, you can also steal a piece of leisure in a tired night.
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