Uncompelling Love Story

Rating: 4/10 (14 April 2019)

Some may be turned off in the beginning by the pretentious aesthetic of the visuals but, in my opinion, this is where to positive reviews actually rang true. The photography is great. The square aspect ratio seems a bit self-indulgent but I found myself forgiving that quickly.
As many have noted in other reviews, the biggest short-coming of this movie is the so-called love between its insufferable main characters. It is difficult to invest any emotional stock in their plight because circumstances or antagonizing forces are not really standing in the way of their love, they just choose to not be together. Sometimes it's a matter of not feeling like putting forth the effort or, in the case that they do find themselves together, one of them decides that they would rather be with someone else or be somewhere else. As a result, I stopped caring about their relationship halfway through the movie, and why not? If their relationship is not a priority for them why should I care? This flat cycle of "love" and disinterest continues along a dramatic plateau, leading to a climax which strains the definition of the term. It was devoid of any significant emotional weight or catharsis for me.
There are morsels of other interesting issues for us to consider related to the backdrop of the story (questions of cultural identity, political uses/implications of arts and entertainment, loyalty and commitment to the pursuit of one's own interests). Others seem to suggest that this movie's genius must be read between the lines so, if you decide to watch this, keep in mind that you'll need to come up with compelling central story elements yourself.