"Madly" is one of two anthology films at Tribeca Film Festival, and a great parallel on how to use anthology to support a main theme and introduce to an audience various styles and cultures. Love is something that transcends culture and language, yet we all experience it so differently. With six uniquely different films, we can see how love is experienced around the world.
Culture shock and hypocrisy run rampant in the opener "Clean Shaven," a film about a young woman in India who embraces the western ideology of going clean shaven--to the fierce retaliation of her husband (He dons a western business suit and on and off speaks english. It's amazing to see such simple things that we think are nothing can shake an entire relationship in another part of the world. It's also interesting to see how incredibly hypocritical the husband is when embracing a culture that is not his own.
"After Birth," the following flm directed by known actress Mia Wasikowska ("Alice In Wonderland," "Crimson Peak"), shows us the unconditional love a mother shows to her newly born child, though one might not love it immediately. It's a cheeky portrait of a young woman who may not be ready to provide and care for a child, but is forced into that position. It's visually beautiful, with frames within frames (even going as far as shooting in a 4:3 aspect ratio on a 16:9 screen so the film is framed within a frame), its cinematography is definitely the most impressive of the bunch.
"Dance Dance Dance" is starkly opposite in terms of visuals. This film puts you right into the shoes of the main character with gritty, guerrilla style shooting. A young African American man comes out to his parents after attempting to kiss his dance partner earlier that day. When he's kicked out, he is forced to look for shelter on the streets. It's utterly heartbreaking to watch this boy's life take a complete 180 in the span of a day. When he hits the bottom, a glimpse of hope and happiness peer through. Complete with an eye-rolling Jesus portrait, this film bravely tackles homosexuality in the African American community.
"Love of Love" is the most bizarre of them all. It questions monogamous relationships, and the monotony of sex with one partner and asks: Are you happy with one partner? Why can't you love someone and have sex with different people? In a generation brought up around the easy access of pornography, it's hard to imagine anyone not being fully satisfied with just a single partner. The film is about a newly engaged couple whom come home to visit the young woman's parents and her older sister, whom is "happily" married. The little sister then brings her older sister and husband to a sex club, where they become addicted to making love with strangers. It is very visually influenced by Kubrick (especially with the dolly shot coming out of a porcelain woman's crotch). This film will hold your sex life in its hands and make you reevaluate it.
"Love Of My Life" is the most mature film of them all, reflecting on the relationship of an Argentinian couple when they are expecting their first child. What once was filled with love and passion has now morphed into ambivalence and slight resentment. Now the couple is forced to stay with one another for the sake of their child. A very interesting approach to how a lot of couples "shack up" with one another after the woman gets pregnant, something that is very predominant in today's young culture.
And finally, the weakest of the them all (but nonetheless still a really good piece) is "I Do." It's a weird film about letting your past go and moving on. We've all had feelings for an ex before, and those feelings linger like a ghost preventing you from moving forward. Only we have the power to let them go and take the next crucial step in our lives to move forward. In this film, a young bride meets her ghost right before her wedding, questioning if she truly is ready to make this step into her future.
Any adult ages 18-35 should watch this film. The message resonates and leaves you thinking about your own love life and future. Very few films are able to do that, but this film hits it right on the head. The anthology style of the film only serves to aid in the attempt to get you to think about these various parts of your love life. Because of "After Birth" and its specific framing, you should see it in a theater, though if you never have the chance, at least see it on a high definition TV where the 4:3 aspect ratio can obviously be seen. This film is nothing like you've ever seen, and it's certainly not one to miss.
