Product: The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Two-Disc Special Edition) (2006)
Rating: 1.0
The Unbearable Boredom of Watching
"The Unbearable Boredom of Watching." That's what this movie should have been titled. It is a long, relentless, punishingly dull movie following the lives of three people intertwined by a common relationship with each other. Two of them, Tomas and his mistress, Sabina, are talented yet shallow hedonists who seem to have no interest in pursuing anything greater or more meaningful than sexual gratification. Tomas' young wife, Tereza, is a sad, pathetic, naive woman who is devoted to her husband despite her knowledge of his ongoing affair with Sabina. The story takes place in the 1960's era of Communist oppression in Czechoslovakia.After spending about 3 hours watching this movie, one comes away struggling to find some meaning in it all. There were opportunities to make an interesting movie -- the tension between the women who share a common lover, the impact of Communist oppression on the lives of Tomas and his wife are but two examples -- but the writers and director chose an incredibly boring and meaningless path instead. There are several episodes of gratuitous sex, nudity, and a lengthy homoerotic scene between Sabina and Tereza that add nothing to the meaning, quality, or entertainment of this movie.I can really find no reason to recommend this movie. If you are looking for a love story or a fascinating tale about interesting people and their lives, you will be sorely disappointed. Only someone who can find meaning watching the clothes dryer at a laundromat would find this movie interesting.