This review is from: The New Year (Amazon Instant Video)
I would have liked this movie more if she had actually made a decision. Sometimes a movie thinks it’s “deep” if it presents a problem and resolves nothing. But, no, if we wanted nothing resolved, we would read about congress and not watch movies.
The female lead and her boys were pretty good actors. The rest? Blech.
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This review is from: The New Year (Amazon Instant Video)
The only thing I liked about this movie was the father/daughter relationship – which was sweet and caring. The story line had no real direction, was slow and mostly sad, and the ending fell flat.
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This review is from: The New Year (Amazon Instant Video)
I just completed viewing “The New Year,” on Amazon Prime a few moments ago. Although, it would probably be appropriate to wait some time for the thoughts to collect in my mind and form a more cogent and communicable narrative, I felt the need to review the work immediately.
The story revolves around the life of a 20 something named Sunny, working a part-time temp job at a local Bowling Alley in Pensacola, Florida.
She finds herself in this predicament through a series of life-events, that include the sudden long-term debility of her father caused by cancer, and her mothers sudden abandonment of the family. Faced with this dissolution, she steps up by dropping out of university and moving in with her father to care for his needs.
To call the work a stream of emotions would be inaccurate, although there is some of that, but it never crosses into the domain of melodrama. The movie has a cohesive narrative, which flirts between ambiguity and structure. There is progression from scene-to-scene, and self-discovery occurs for the main character.
At the time of this writing, however, the reviewer can’t be sure if he has witnessed truth growth in Sunny by the end of the film. This uncertainty is one of the factors that leave the viewer a feeling that he has been deposited on an unsettling plateau by the films conclusion. One feels (or wants to believe) that some sort of breakthrough is about to occur in the ultimate scene of work. The director respects the viewers imagination enough to leave this query hanging.
It could be described as a ‘small’ story, about the difficulties of a normal person. The issues portrayed in the film will be faced by everyone at some point in their lives. Therefore, everyone can feel empathy for Sunny. However, the imminent death of a parent, before one has married, or finished college, and the resultant preciosity forced onto Sunny, demands a special empathy for most viewers.
Further, the execution of the various portraits in Sunnys life, from conversations between close friends, the emotional confusion, frustration, and her inner resilience, rings true to this viewer. Having experienced similar life events as Sunny, I can confirm that early deaths in the family and the contortion that such an event forms on ones life path, often leaves a lonely road to traverse, sometimes many years after the fact.
Several scenes, including the penultimate one during the New Years Eve Party are especially true. Being evasive, lapses in communications with friends, and indecision are just some of the outward manifestations of extreme stress caused by personal tragedy.
Also Sunny’s lack of direct verbal introspection rings true. Hollywood films that deal with tragedy, minor or major, sometimes can get very cerebral and intellectual. To some this may be how they cope. However, to most people, I suspect, tragedy is more silent, personal, and less flashy. Most people are social, and our social instincts definitely tells us not to rock the boat.
Overall, the film was well produced, acted, and paced. As the reader may have surmised from the above, this is not a ‘feel good,’ ‘happy ending’ type movie. By no means is it, however, a downer. It’s an honest film about life and how things can (and often) go very wrong, and how ordinary people have to deal with it, as it hits the fan. It portrays (rightly) the importance of personal ties, friendships, and an inner core as ingredients for successfully (hopeful) coping, and spares us the cliches. If I had to guess, the writer of the film probably has taken these themes from their own life.
I did not feel cheated of 1 1/2 hours after watching the film, and it caused me to think. This is a good measure, as any, for a film. I recommend it for viewing, especially if its on Amazon Prime. The issues of being stuck in a dead-end job, struggling with ones purpose in life, the complexity of interpersonal relationships are all stories (unfortunately) that more Americans can relate to in our contemporary times. Therefore, viewing this work can add value to a persons perspective by understanding how others deal with things in a similar context. I hope the producers of the film go on to refine their technique, and produce other meaningful works in the future.
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Lack of resolution does not make for a good movie.,
I would have liked this movie more if she had actually made a decision. Sometimes a movie thinks it’s “deep” if it presents a problem and resolves nothing. But, no, if we wanted nothing resolved, we would read about congress and not watch movies.
The female lead and her boys were pretty good actors. The rest? Blech.
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|What the ???,
The only thing I liked about this movie was the father/daughter relationship – which was sweet and caring. The story line had no real direction, was slow and mostly sad, and the ending fell flat.
Was this review helpful to you?
|The Film Holds True,
I just completed viewing “The New Year,” on Amazon Prime a few moments ago. Although, it would probably be appropriate to wait some time for the thoughts to collect in my mind and form a more cogent and communicable narrative, I felt the need to review the work immediately.
The story revolves around the life of a 20 something named Sunny, working a part-time temp job at a local Bowling Alley in Pensacola, Florida.
She finds herself in this predicament through a series of life-events, that include the sudden long-term debility of her father caused by cancer, and her mothers sudden abandonment of the family. Faced with this dissolution, she steps up by dropping out of university and moving in with her father to care for his needs.
To call the work a stream of emotions would be inaccurate, although there is some of that, but it never crosses into the domain of melodrama. The movie has a cohesive narrative, which flirts between ambiguity and structure. There is progression from scene-to-scene, and self-discovery occurs for the main character.
At the time of this writing, however, the reviewer can’t be sure if he has witnessed truth growth in Sunny by the end of the film. This uncertainty is one of the factors that leave the viewer a feeling that he has been deposited on an unsettling plateau by the films conclusion. One feels (or wants to believe) that some sort of breakthrough is about to occur in the ultimate scene of work. The director respects the viewers imagination enough to leave this query hanging.
It could be described as a ‘small’ story, about the difficulties of a normal person. The issues portrayed in the film will be faced by everyone at some point in their lives. Therefore, everyone can feel empathy for Sunny. However, the imminent death of a parent, before one has married, or finished college, and the resultant preciosity forced onto Sunny, demands a special empathy for most viewers.
Further, the execution of the various portraits in Sunnys life, from conversations between close friends, the emotional confusion, frustration, and her inner resilience, rings true to this viewer. Having experienced similar life events as Sunny, I can confirm that early deaths in the family and the contortion that such an event forms on ones life path, often leaves a lonely road to traverse, sometimes many years after the fact.
Several scenes, including the penultimate one during the New Years Eve Party are especially true. Being evasive, lapses in communications with friends, and indecision are just some of the outward manifestations of extreme stress caused by personal tragedy.
Also Sunny’s lack of direct verbal introspection rings true. Hollywood films that deal with tragedy, minor or major, sometimes can get very cerebral and intellectual. To some this may be how they cope. However, to most people, I suspect, tragedy is more silent, personal, and less flashy. Most people are social, and our social instincts definitely tells us not to rock the boat.
Overall, the film was well produced, acted, and paced. As the reader may have surmised from the above, this is not a ‘feel good,’ ‘happy ending’ type movie. By no means is it, however, a downer. It’s an honest film about life and how things can (and often) go very wrong, and how ordinary people have to deal with it, as it hits the fan. It portrays (rightly) the importance of personal ties, friendships, and an inner core as ingredients for successfully (hopeful) coping, and spares us the cliches. If I had to guess, the writer of the film probably has taken these themes from their own life.
I did not feel cheated of 1 1/2 hours after watching the film, and it caused me to think. This is a good measure, as any, for a film. I recommend it for viewing, especially if its on Amazon Prime. The issues of being stuck in a dead-end job, struggling with ones purpose in life, the complexity of interpersonal relationships are all stories (unfortunately) that more Americans can relate to in our contemporary times. Therefore, viewing this work can add value to a persons perspective by understanding how others deal with things in a similar context. I hope the producers of the film go on to refine their technique, and produce other meaningful works in the future.
Was this review helpful to you?
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