Saw these 3 movies at 2007 toronto film fest, Gone with the Woman (GwtW), With Your Permission (WyP) and Forever Never Anywhere (FNA).
While WyP and GwtW both deals with perspectives of male/female relationships, both from the male PoV and the struggles it sometimes involves.
WyP is layered with reverse situation setups, slow plot revelations and memorable performances. Nothing is perfect, however, as WyP is every so slightly marred by a ... hmmmmmmm .... how shall I put it, ... an under-communicated closing shot. (As in Q&A the director pointed out she wanted a happy ending shot with a sense of "blue").
With that in mind, GwtW is a bit disappointing because it uses generalizations, and some stereotypes. There are high points of dialog, visualization but it feels like another version of 'Hi-Fidelity' ... grown men trying grow into their age .. by .. finding the missing one true self. And the execution feels Hollywood also.
FNA does not have the same theme, or belongs to the same category .. or any other that I can recall. It is fresh, humorous with some risk taking ... sometimes may have traversed over the limits of some viewers (but at no time degrades or degenerates into something less), is my most enjoyable film from the festival.
So 8 for WyP, 9 for FNA, 6 for GwtW.
Post edit 2008 :
Still the best of the 3. For this film, FNA, thought, I was locked into it. Sometimes, a movie will force you to become objective because their value/esthetics/dialgue .. or what not clashes with yours. And I'm a pretty tolerant guy. Not here for sure, I wanted to see what's next;tuned into the movie, tuned out of the surroundings. I want to see how the characters will act, react, think (or not) obout the actions of others and self.
Premise is simple, but I haven't seen : 3 guys trapped in a car. And it goes naturally from there. More of fulfilling a social experiment... and what's the point? I can't recall since this subesquent comment is written a year after. But I want to see this again!!!
