Review of Me And You And Everyone We Know

Introduction

I realise that this may nullify any opinions that are expressed herein, but it has to be said; never trust the words of reviewers that are communicated to you via the medium of promotional material. There happens to be an almost eerie ambiguity to some of these comments which, placed in the wrong context with the wrong background, can be utterly deceptive.

For instance, the back-cover of `Me and you and everyone we know` proclaims that this movie is `This year`s `Lost in Translation``, a quote that had me frothing at the mouth with anticipation. Of course, I should have realised that this is not necessarily an out and out compliment - there were many people who hated `Lost in Translation`.

The directorial debut of Miranda July, `Me and you and everyone we know` is an ensemble piece that seeks to expand our horizons on sexuality, friendship and innocence. Rather `kookily`, it does this by demonstrating the faecal and oral sex obsessions of its creator and, in the process, alienates a great deal of its potential audience.

Essentially, it is an overview of various characters who meet by chance, and so there is no real storyline or plot to speak of. The central character is Richard Swersey (John Hawkes) , who kicks off proceedings by splitting up with his wife and then setting fire to his hand. After such a frantic opening, you`d be forgiven for thinking that it`s slow paced moody affair from then-on, and you`d be completely right. Well done - gold star!

Richard`s two sons Peter and Robby are computer-literate mixed race children with their own `issues` going on, mainly sex and potty orientated (the picture was given an `R` rating in the US because of `disturbing sexual content involving children` as well as the inclusion of `language`). The film follows their awakenings of the world around them, as the family becomes involved with a variety of other players, usually by coincidence. Miranda July herself stars as care worker and artiste Christine, who takes an interest in Swersey senior, and whose awkward posturing and conversational technique sets a tone for the entire movie.

Video

What the DVD lacks in credible plot development or humour, it makes up for in appearance. Excellently coloured, and strikingly filmed, it serves as evidence that the Director`s background in performance art has had some impact on her celluloid work.

Audio

Inarguably the greatest feature of the movie is its soundtrack. Michael Andrews provides a dreamy electronica backing to the on screen action, the result of which will sound instantly recognisable to anyone acquainted with the `Warp` record label. `Blips`, `blops` and `drizzles` frequent lush synth arrangements, giving the entire film the feeling of a warm fridge - if that`s possible.

Features

Included on the DVD is an `Interview with… ` Director and Writer Miranda July, `Cast and crew interviews`, Trailers and `Behind the scenes footage`.

In this case, the `Behind the Scenes footage` consists of 15 second snippets of July looking at the action and talking to the crew, with no commentary or hint of order, making it completely dispensable and a waste of your 6 minutes.

The interviews are annoying in a different way entirely. Miranda July (so-called because it is her most creative month of the year) has to be one of the most irritating, pretentious and irritatingly pretentious film makers alive today. Her habit of saying `y`know` at least twice in every sentence tries your patience, and her way of expressing herself so ludicrously is enough to bring a frown to the happiest of faces.

Conclusion

It seems almost purposefully ironic that a movie which deals with emotions and `touching one another` should be so devoid of any real feeling or genuine warmth. Instead, by trying to cover too vast a spectrum of love, lust, sex and friendship, like some sort of indie `Love Actually`, it fails to produce one full minute of engaging cinema.

The faults are all the more irritating, because you know that we could have had it so much better. If July had relinquished her overall control of the movie, and merely provided the basis of a story rather than the whole screenplay, then there could have been something of real substance filling the space where merely style resides.

`You and me and everyone we know` has more in common with `Napoleon Dynamite` than `Lost in Translation`. Like `Napoleon Dynamite`, `Me and you …` takes the shy and backwards characters of America`s nothing towns, and showcases them in a succession of `set piece` scenes with minimal dialogue, succeeding just as poorly in presenting them as amiable human beings. In fact, there isn`t anything approaching a stand out character, because they`re all as vacuous and tedious as each other.

Most disheartening of all, the movie refuses to go that final few miles. When little Robbie meets his internet buddy, with whom he has been sharing his 6year old poop-related fantasies, they just look at each other … and then nothing. When his brother is given oral sex by two local school girls, there is no fall-out, no hideous repercussions, no nothing. Miranda July has shot herself in the foot by casting her net so wide that she hasn`t got enough time for the fish in the middle; Who knows, they could have been really tasty fish.