22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Ruffalo showpiece, October 26, 2004
This film is worth having in one's collection if you happen to like quirky independent films and appreciate acting performances that are worth watching more than once. Make no mistake, this film is Mark Ruffalo's showcase for the brilliant actor that he is. He is absolutely perfect in this film, as a man in a serious relationship that hasn't gotten to the engagement step quite yet, and whose life is thrown for a loop by an accidental encounter with a former flame he knew a decade ago. His facial expressions alone, in attempting to hide his duplicitous nature, marks him as an actor to watch out for. The best scene I've ever seen in any film is the bathroom sequence, when Mark and his girlfriend are brushing their teeth and discussing his friends they had just met for dinner earlier. The playfulness and the visual tricks in that scene really enhanced this film for me. The songs used in the film (though a couple of them are not on the soundtrack) are also an added plus for the film...especially the karaoke scene with "Don't You Want Me" by the Human League. The characters are real to me, the same generation as me, so I feel like they could possibly be people I know. I love seeing how Mark's character gets his comeuppance by his girlfriend, who suspects something going on and calls him on it, even though he tries to deny or hide his interest in his former flame. The acting by the cast is first rate. The reason why I give it four stars instead of five is because I did not like the first part of the film when the characters were in their 20s. I almost gave up on the film, but am glad I stuck with it, because once it focuses on them at 30, the film is flawless to the very end. I expect Mark Ruffalo to become one of the best actors of our generation and I look forward to seeing his other work in the near future.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Redefining Healthy, August 14, 2004
"There is no honesty in a healthy relationship." Director Chick seems to sum up his film nicely with this poignantly tragic statement. This movie comprises many themes, but the dominant one I see centers around the contradictions that we humans practice daily in our lives, as individuals and as a race. It is not that hard to visualize the life that we want, but to take action requires real courage, and Chick depicts vividly how little courage we do have. The main character is Coles, played beautifully by Ruffalo, who portrays discomfort, guilt, and fear perfectly. In the beginning of his relationship with Sammy they both claim that they want honesty and no games, and they do just the opposite. Ten years later Coles is much the same. He is the romantic waiting for externalities to change his life, to force him into decisions that may or may not be what he wants. He loves two women but lacks the courage to make a stand for either. They make it for him, which is sad, because I think his character is doomed to simply repeat himself. At first I believed that it was the women in this film who were the strong ones, but even Sammy and Claire lack the courage to claim themselves completely. They need someone to rescue or someone to rescue them. Claire catches Coles with Sammy, and she silently walks away, giving him the chance to make a choice, and he of course does not. Sammy makes a different choice all together. Only Thea seems to come full circle after ten years. She knows who she is, and she makes no apologies for it. She grew up, and she doesn't take sides and brings some much needed honesty and insight to her friends. This movie is about the life we want and the life we settle for. It makes you think, and that's a good thing. And if it makes you take action, well then, that's a great thing. There is honesty in a healthy relationship, but we have to define healthy for ourselves. No one can do it for us.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting character study, May 14, 2003
An intriguing premise and a great cast are the high point of XX/XY. Unfortunately, neither the story nor the cast manages to reach their full potential, and a lot of what could have been is quickly lost. Despite its flaws, however, XX/XY still manages to entertain. It's a light and fluffy attempt at serious drama, bogged down by numerous scenes of our love triangle engaging in a threesome. Overall, it manages to succeed.
Kathleen Robertson gives her usual performance (playing a similar character she portrayed in another film about a threesome, Greg Arakki's far superior SPLENDOR) but she's pretty darn good. There is definitely something about her that manages to brighten up a scene. She has such charisma and a charming personality, but unfortunately, her character is lost underneath the drama of the other two in love. I would have loved to have seen more done with her character.
Mark Ruffallo is Coles, a former director with only one film to his credit, who is now a commercial artist. Maya Stange is Sam, the woman in the threesome he ultimately falls for. The three form an inseparable social group, doomed perhaps by their omnipresent sexual tension. Of course, things don't go as planned and their relationship quickly spirals out of control until its destruction.
But 10 years later, with Coles now engaged, a chance encounter with Sam ignites old feelings and changes everything.
XX/XY is that rare film where we grow to genuinely care about the characters. Their romantic troubles are portrayed with a refreshing, open honesty missing from most Hollywood films. The incisive acting of Ruffalo, Robertson and Stange convincingly makes the point that these still-young males and females are just as stunted and confused as the rest of us.
XX/XY starts in the comfortingly familiar territory of out of control college kids, but writer/director Austin Chick has the confidence to push on and navigate the uncharted waters of reaching middle age. It all works well, aside from the fact that ten years later, these characters still look the same, maybe even better! However, the film itself is a great diversion from all the horrible films Hollywood throws our way, but definitely not for all tastes. This is a true independent film--dark, dreary, and slow, but fascinating and intriguing at the same time. There are better films out there, but hell, there have been a lot worse.
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