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Review
Archives
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Today's
Date is:
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Things
you can tell just by looking at her
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Reviewed
by: |
Kelly
Horner |
| Genre: |
Drama
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| Video: |
Anamorphic
Wide Screen 2.35:1 |
| Audio: |
English
Dolby Digital 5.1, French 2.0 surround |
| Language: |
English/French
|
| Subtitle: |
English/French
|
| Length: |
109
minutes |
| Rating: |
PG-13 |
| Release
Date: |
July
10, 2001 |
| Studio: |
MGM
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| Commentary:
|
None |
| Documentaries:
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None |
| Featurettes:
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None |
| Filmography/Biography:
|
Cast |
|
Interviews: |
None |
| Trailers/TV
Spots: |
Yes |
| Alternate/Deleted
Scenes: |
None |
| Music
Video: |
None |
| Other:
|
None |
| Cast
and Crew: |
Glenn Close,
Callista Flockhart, Cameron Diaz, Holly Hunter, Gregory Hines,
Valeria Golino. |
| Screenplay
by: |
Rodrigo Garcia
|
| Produced
by: |
Jon Avnet, Lisa Lindstrom,
Marsha Olegsby. |
| Directed
By: |
Rodrigo Garcia |
| Music: |
Edward Shearmur |
| The
Review: |
Although
barely noticed in theaters, this short-story style drama has
quite an impressive cast. Each actress plays her character perfectly;
each has their own secret pain, based somewhat in a fear of
loneliness, yet each deal with it quite differently. Through
a series of short films, the film intertwines the lives of five
women in San Fernando as they deal with such things as death,
love and sex. At first I was saddened, as each woman tried and
failed to find what they were looking for, yet I was relieved
as a viewer to find each story find its own realistic ending
as the film continues. The film begins with Dr. Keener ( played
by Glenn Close) a gynecologist trying to cope with the separation
from her husband. It moves on through the lives of a bank manager
( Holly Hunter) who is seeing a married man, A fortune teller
( Calista Flockhart) whose girlfriend is dying, a single mom
looking for love and finally a young detective named Kathy,
whose blind sister (Cameron Diaz) helps push her into living
her life. Although the five women are actually strangers to
each other, each life has touched another in some way, an important
factor in watching a movie such as this; but unlike films such
as Magnolia where the effect was noticeable and significant
to the plot, Things you can tell simply lets the characters
pass one another like (please excuse the expression) two ships
in the night. It is quite a long film to watch, the story is
quiet, slow and more dialogue than action. Most scenes take
place in silence, or with quiet music behind them. Some scenes
show the character simply staring at the walls, the sky, etc.
contemplating their fate. What is interesting is these scenes
are effective, they move the audience as one can truly understand,
or at least empathize with their pain. In the final story, entitled
A Date for Kathy, a more humorous side of the story begins.
This in fact was a relief, as at this point, the movie had brought
itself to a point of true misery. Cameron Diaz plays a young
blind woman, who has been let down by love. This does not stop
her from having wild flings with men, and the way she carries
herself, with an unbelievable amount of confidence was refreshing
and easy to watch. She turns out to be the all knowing eyes
of the entire film. She knows not only the pain of her sister
Kathy, but the similar pain of all the women she has ever encountered
or heard about. Her remarks are clever, somewhat bitter, but
definitely humorous. This balance of misery and happiness was
what made this movie enjoyable to watch. It reminds us that
as human beings, you cannot have one with out the other. |
| Image
and Sound |
The film
transfer is crisp and clear. The actual film technique used
a washed out or pale effect, it seems most of the scenes have
pastel or white colors around them. The camera use is shaky
in some places, a way to feel like you are a fly on the wall
watching these women as you follow them from home to work and
back again. As noted in Review, the soundtrack plays quietly
in most scenes, and a majority of dialogue has no soundtrack
at all. For this reason, the voices are clear, no muffling or
distortion.. |
| The
Extras |
Unfortunately
the only thing offered in this DVD is a filmography and a theatrical
trailer, which is understandable for a lower budget movie such
as this. I was disappointed that there were no interviews however
because I would have liked to have seen why these great actresses
chose these roles and possibly where the story idea originated
from. |
| Commentary |
None |
| Final
Words: |
The film
itself is poetic, sad but most definitely interesting to watch.
It never preaches or goes over the top; none of these actresses
were looking for an Oscar nod. I think they all contributed
to a quiet, thoughtful drama about the lives of many women.
Sadly the DVD itself, with it lack of features is only the real
disappointment. If the movie touches you, these things might
not make a difference, but as a movie collector, it might. |
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