Metropolitan
Sometimes I feel like watching random films I know nothing about, and more often than not, I am in for a pleasant surprise. All I know about “Metropolitan” is that it has a nice-looking Criterion cover, which turns out to have nothing to do with the style of the film itself. In fact, even though cover and storyline suggest some upper-class milieu, the film itself is made on the cheap. Add in some Hana-yori-dango-like 80’s fashion and you have your perfect strangely cheap and dated looking rich people movie. Luckily, “Metropolitan” is more than a showcase of costumes, which is perhaps the only reason why I watched the film in its entirety.
First of all – Oh gosh, I loved Nick. While the film itself doesn’t leave that much space for actual comedy, some of the things Nick says are pure comedic gold. This film absolutely needed a cynical character, and Nick delivers perfectly. I love how he ended up getting himself punched in the face, and I was sad that he left the show. Sure, Tom is supposed to be the main character, but the film almost lost its appeal after they sent Nick to the train station.
I can’t quite make up my mind about whether I think the actors were good or not. Sometimes I felt like their way of talking was strange, but then I realized… oh my God, they talk like Woody Allen! It’s a New York movie, so it almost makes sense. They go on and on about themselves and odd topics nobody really wants to hear nor would understand, yet at the same time, it is amusing to listen to. Critics mention how the dialogue is written in a way that people do not really speak, citing that they use “nevertheless” or “however”. I was like… really? I use “nevertheless” in my speech, or rather at least in German I do. How else do you want to have a discussion if you don’t connect your thoughts? Personally I liked their silly discussions so much, for all I care the film could just as well have been an episode of these kids hanging around and talk.
But of course the film has to evolve into some love quadrangle, actually it has more than that – Charlie likes Audrey who likes Tom who likes Serena who broke up with Rick who sleeps Cynthia who slept with Nick who probably offended Jane with that. The last part is speculation, so if Jane had a crush on Nick, then Fred and Sally are the only characters not involved in this whole love ordeal. I thought the film was worth to see, and I am now curious about “The last days of disco”, another one of these ironic commentary films. I have a thing for the “doomed bourgeois in love” theme – it’s a guilty pleasure if you want – and I think that Whit Stillmann managed to adapt it well from 19th century European novels into 80-90s movies. Definitely a nice, multidimensional film.