Some thoughts of my own...
Thankfully, I have recently moved to a city which is MUCH more open minded to a movie of this type. Our audience thankfully was filled with college kids, mostly girls, a few guys my age..the customary cougher...and a few dotted older couples. And then ther was myself with a soda and a box of Junior Mints sitting towards front in the dead center.
The theatre in which we saw the movie has the main theatre, and a smaller theatre called the "screening room" This is where the movie was playing due the fact that it was the last showing of that evening,and thus not held in the main double decker theatre.
Ann Arbor has it playing now at two locations. One is out at the megaplex on S. Carpenter Rd, yet my roomate and our "group" all went to see it downtown at the glorious restored Michigan Theatre on Liberty Street. In my view a very appropriate place to have the theatre in which the movie plays.
At first I thought the movie started slowly..and diddn't seem to allude much as to what was going to happen within. There were subtleties for sure, But after their first and SHOCKING encounter together...the movie..like an old steam locomotive charging across the rails..blasts ahead telling what is in my view the ultimate love story of many relationships in the LGBT communities. Yet tragically that which what happens seems to be the ending for most,still today.
I was just intrigued as to how a movie could purporse to tell a story so interwoven and complex so well, and for the average person to understand without needing flashcards or a narrator. And as time progresses thru the movie with them continuing on with all of their "come what may" situaations; continues to show the effects for all the characters in the movie till the very end.
I feel that the ending, while tragic serves to give lesson as to what many people in our culture seem to forget about until years later...that you should hold onto what you feel and what's right no matter what the cost. Becasue sometimes, more often than not..you do not realize what you have until it's gone. Maybe not physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. Sometimes far more interpersonal than the physical aspect of relationships.
For me- I cried like crazy and as most of you have already notated, and so did EVERy one of those in my group including the one straight guy freind that agreed to go with us. Ten, count it...ten people visually impacted.
For the rest- the post stunned audience had the lights come onto them after with a silence only death can bring to one. And too, the audience..which for a late showing was full to capacity left VERY slowly..almost a crawl. No as said..it's NOt a feel good movie..but just perhaps that was the films point. That our lives while seen as controversial, are just as deep and as important as that which is seen in 99.98% of "traditional" love and loss stories produced by California Inc since the beginnign of movies over a century ago.
Emphatically stressed as a movie to go see as any I'veseen in awhile. We all paid extra to go see it at the Michigan, but it was far worth it by far. It just added to the allure of the film...and made my Saturday eveing very thought provoking for sure...
Chad
As a post statement, I do need to say that this is NOT a movie to be viewed alone. IT would be best for one to have a freind at hand.Especailly one who may be more emotionl than most. Thankfully I had the family along and found that it was most beneficial...even though as I swung the big chrome nose of my TownCar towards State Street..as we drove past the front of the theatre in which we just exited...the only noise heard by anyone who was in my car and that was 6 of 10 was the whirring of the defroster fan.
