2015/04/30

Day fifty-one: The 7:39 + Seeking a Friend for The End of The World (April, 29)

Day 51 was a meal-and-movie's day. One film at lunch, another at dinner. Simple as that (not futile, though).

The 7:39. Directed byJohn Alexander. With: David
Morrissey, Sheridan Smith, Olivia Colman. Writer:
David Nicholls. UK, 2014, 100 min., Color (Cable TV)

At noon, I reached a movie at cable, The 7:39, a British TV production written by David Nicholls, author of One Day (the book even makes a cameo in the first part of this movie). 

The premise is one ever present in our lives: the routine gets to a point that nothing makes sense anymore, and we live in autopilot, ever unsatisfied, but going on ahead (to nowhere). Until something or someone puts a better picture in front of us, and things begins to make sense again. 

It is a TV movie, and despite TV the increasing quality of TV productions nowadays, it still cannot go far from the usual: a bit of drama, sweet scenes, a definite message at the end, as life could be so easy. Nevertheless, it presents important aspects of everyday life and is a nice company to lunch.






At dinner, the things got a bit more serious, even if still sweet. I've seen the last part of Seeking a Friend for The End of The World already, but this time I decided to see it from the beginning. The movie is the directional debut of Lorene Scafaria, the screenwriter of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, a film that I absolute adore. But even so I wasn't sure it would be nice, because I already knew the end, but the end is not the whole story (I usually say that while defending the reason why I use to read the last page of a book most of the times). There are so many nice details in this story that knowing the end didn't even mattered - although it was a peculiar way to relate to this movie. 

The same theme from lunch was present here (suited to a diner made of leftovers from lunch): the moment in life when we meet someone that gives sense to everything, even the nonsense ones - like the end of the world. 

I'm not a super fan of Steven Carrel, but I've enjoyed a lot some of his movies as Dan in Real Life, 2007 (the one that made me look at him more attentively). His demeanor is melancholic and gives a ever sense of inadequacy that is alluring actually. And in Seeking a Friend it is no different. Keira Knightley fits into this scenery (even if she and Carrel make a strange match at first, as told me Joe once), and the two protagonists lead us to a tale of loss, hope, love in the surreal set of the world getting to its end. 

Seeking a Friend to The End of The World. Directed and written by Lorene
Scafaria. With: Steve Carell, Keira Knightley, Mark Moses. US/Singapore/
Malaysia/Indonesia, 2012, 101 min., Datasat/Dolby Digital, Color (Netflix).
 
PS: Today, reading my current book of choice, I've bumped into some words that fitted perfectly to this day's movies: "I believe," I say slowly, "that everyone you meet leaves an imprint on you. By the end of your life, that imprint has shaped who you are what life you've lived." (Where Sea Meets Sky, an adult novel by Karina Halle - Atria Books, 2015, p. 161 - E-book).

PPS: This post, and also my whole day, had a repeating soundtrack: Psycho, the new song by MUSE, one of my favorite bands. It was unrecognizable for a while, but I thing the band is back on the right tracks, thanks God and the exit of YH. The song is great,  fresh, even if at the third part I started to hum "Keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel"... 

4 comments:

  1. I've seen some substantially good movies that were made for TV, which proves the medium is not all that dictates the quality level in a story, but more its capacity to draw emotion by how relatable the characters, situations and story arc are.

    Much like Jim Carrey, I prefer my Steve Carell doing drama. He's hilarious, and I could never have enough of his Michael Scott from The Office, who, through the course of seven seasons, you learn to hate and love in equal measures, but oh so much! However, I like to see them get serious, or at least dramedy-serious. So I should give this one a shot, also because the themes that you described as being present in the storyline are of great interest to me.
    And by the way, I love the one movie a meal concept. Wish I could do it on a daily :)

    [j]

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    1. I was reading your comment, and the thing that came to mind was: Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind...

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  2. P.S.: this is the last TV film I watched that is too cute for words and has a beautiful story and lovable characters, and it just makes you all kinds of fuzzy and warm inside: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3318220/
    I was also obsessed with the poster for it, it's lovely. If you want, I can give you a copy :)

    [j]

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    1. Ir is a good movie, for sure, but The 7:39 was lacking in some aspects for me. There are other films that go in that direction and that had moved me more.
      Seeking a Friend I think you would like. Let me know your thoughts after you see it ;)

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