It's cool to think there are great movies out there that haven't been lost, but have been forgotten, and that they can kind of just appear out of the blue after decades. I think Bye, Bye Love qualifies, because from what I can tell, the only reviews of it are from the last six to 12 months, and it's lacking things like a poster and any user reviews on IMDb.
It starts off feeling like a lovers/criminals on the run type of story, being a little like Bonnie and Clyde or Badlands but certainly doing its own thing. In no way could people accuse it of being derivative, and I'm not sure I can or want to explain what sets it apart from other movies that sound similar on paper. But stuff gets wild, and if it still has the capacity to surprise and feel jarring when watched today, I can't imagine how people would've reacted to it in 1974.
I think even at just 85 minutes, it felt a little long and repetitive in parts, though that never lasted too long. There was often something unexpected or surprising that would happen whenever things ran the risk of feeling static for too long. It's bold with its look at gender, identity, and love, too, in a way that would've been radical in the 1970s and I think still holds up today. There are certainly movies made later than this dealing with similar themes that have aged much worse.
Anyone wanting something offbeat, and likes a good crime/romance/people-on-the-run type of movie, Bye, Bye Love is easy to recommend. For some, it would almost definitely feel like too much, but I dug how it looked, I liked the way it handled a familiar premise, and I thought it dealt with some interesting thematic stuff, too. I hope other crazy/unique films from decades past keep resurfacing the way this one's seemed to.
