More than just a romance

Rating: 10/10 (1 May 2012)

This movie was absolutely amazing. I think it might strike a chord with many of us who feel for 'one special experience', or who feel 'lost' or 'stuck' in life or relationships. This isn't a flaky/surface romance; it runs extremely deep, and it is every bit as good or better than the original, only with a different flavor. It's the same type of blunt honesty between the characters as in the first film, and the chemistry is tangible.
This film puts Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy back together about 10 years later, and the results are intriguing and incredible. The way these two interact is so genuine and pure; it sets the tone of realism laced with magic. The whole movie explores a build-up of feelings between them, with a sort of phony 'everything is fine' wall which slowly crumbles as the movie goes on, and with this journey, you see the cynicism and the experiences that have shaped them over time. There are some definite twists to the story, but they are realistic twists, and seem to be for realism's sake only, rather than for viewer appeasement. Whoever wrote this screenplay should receive an academy award, if they haven't.
This movie runs so deep, it helps me rekindle beliefs of love, and challenges me to trust so much more in what I know is true in my heart. It really addresses the issue of how so many people get stuck and caught up in what they think society expects of them. They forget that the heart knows; the heart is what you start with as a child- it's what makes you yearn, desire, hope, and burn for someone; it is the essence of a human being.
The characters demonstrate the cold logic that takes over with age, combined with a loss of the youthful hope from so many disappointments. You can really see these things in the characters, but there is a glimmer that really returns throughout their experience together. Julie Delpy truly threw herself into her role, and I can't help but think there is something more going on between her and Ethan Hawke; it almost seems too good to be true. Anyway, I gave this movie a 10. It deserves it.