This film does not seem to want to find out the reasons for the cracks in the marriages of the hero and heroine, but only tries to reveal the normality of life where such cracks and contradictions are everywhere. The film opens with a line from Frank: "Mum and I to you and Dad." Such a confrontational tone runs throughout, whether it's a tit-for-tat quarrel or a non-verbal, cold and violent atmosphere. There is also a translation in the film called "Love · Confrontation". If you don't get love, you will form a confrontation. This is a very dialectical emotional relationship. The character expressions of the two sides are also in harmony with the two creatures, squid and whale. On the one hand, they are eager to communicate, and on the other hand, they are afraid of being restrained. Of course, both sides are relatively fragile, sensitive and vulnerable. And there are inevitably rifts within the two camps, and there are always same-sex and mutually exclusive conflicts between Frank and his mother, and Walter and his father.
The male protagonist has a poor career, but his wife, who also started later as a writer, is much more successful than him, which inevitably makes him jealous and fearful. Therefore, the male protagonist seems to represent a strong male, but he appears to be more inferior and cowardly. Even after the separation, he didn't take the initiative to make a girlfriend. Lily's appearance was a process of reverse seduction. On the contrary, the heroine can have an extramarital affair with her neighbor with peace of mind and take the initiative to pursue her own happiness. Here the director has no obvious value preference for both parties, we can only see that in terms of feelings, women can be more resilient and more easily overcome difficulties. Interestingly, when the psychiatrist asked Walter what good memories he had, all he remembered was the time he spent with his mother, and female love has obvious advantages in interpersonal relationships.
It is also obvious from the eldest son's love affair that he inherited his father's character traits. He wants to have love with Sophie, and wants to get sensuality from Lily, he is indecisive and hesitant. This is a bit like Dustin Hoffman in "The Graduate", a teenager who is new to the world, confused between his own dreams and the temptation of the outside world. He used his wit and humor to cover up his inner inferiority and vanity, but his girlfriend's family could clearly find his lack of confidence when shaking hands. There is a detail that he and Sophie kissed, Sophie told her not to stick her tongue out. From this, you can also see the personality difference between men and women, one is simple and rough, the other is gentle and delicate.
The seven-year itch of husband and wife, and the impulsiveness of children's puberty, it is easy to think of "Ice Storm" from such family ethics plots. Of course, the latter was endowed with a special era background, and the confusion and confusion were related to the vacuum of moral inheritance in that period. After the 1980s who have undergone ideological changes, the high degree of freedom in the spiritual field has resulted in the diversification of values, but the negative effect brought about is to make us feel helpless. The contradiction between the husband and wife in the film is also a difference in the way of thinking of the family to a certain extent, and for the male protagonist, the arrogant and arrogant personality makes it impossible for them to communicate on an equal basis. The lack of communication has made the chasm between them bigger and bigger, finally reaching the point where it cannot be filled.
I have long been accustomed to the slow progress of American films, but this film is surprisingly short, less than 80 minutes, and it stops abruptly when Walter stares at the squid and whales fighting in the museum, but the overall structure is rigorous, Many details are worth pondering. Compared with "American Beauty" with a similar theme, this film lacks surprising narrative skills and eye-catching bright colors, but adds a bit of simplicity and vicissitudes of life to life. I believe that no one will praise and praise after watching it. Amazed, some are just silent and thinking.
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