Guy meets girl. Guy thinks he has girl. Guy wants girl. Guy needs girl. These are the key elements to a romantic movie or "chick flick". There have been so many repercussions of this genre that they all end up looking the same and just fading into oblivion. Sometimes, a movie comes along to redefine the genre. Sometimes, a movie will capture the essence of a genre. Sometimes, it just works.
Writer/Director Cameron Crowe's latest film Elizabethtown can be considered one of these movies. It stars Orlando Bloom as Drew Baylor, a man who has just caused the shoe company he works for 1 billion dollars for a shoe that doesn't work. After being fired, he prepares to "deal with life" but instead receives a phone call that his father has died while visiting his uncle. It's up to Drew to deliver the suit needed for the funeral.
On his 3 a.m. flight to Louisville he meets a flight attendant named Claire (Kirsten Dunst) and she just wants to have a conversation. Since she knows the area she helps him out by giving him directions. He is too tired to really have a talk about things but instead just smiles and nods as if everything is all right.
In the Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Drew meets the family he never got to know because he lived in Oregon most of his life and was so busy with making the new shoe line. They seem to know all about him yet he doesn't really have a clue as to what is going on, only that they're family...and that's all that counts.
Elizabethtown is a great film on many levels. Crowe's script, much like his previous ones, is extremely well written. His use of dialogue is perfect for the situations the characters are thrown into. Another aspect that enhances the script is the cinematography. The way he positions the camera for each scene makes the scene come alive. It seems like so much time was used to think out each individual shot. And to top it all off...the soundtrack. Much like Almost Famous(2000), this movie has a great soundtrack. Each song is perfect for each scene and really transcends the emotion of each character. The road trip that Drew takes could be a separate soundtrack all by itself.
The only part of the movie I was anxious about before seeing the movie was the acting of Bloom and Dunst and how they would interact. Fortuanetly it worked out. Bloom was a lot better than anticipated and Dunst seemed very into her role. Probably one of the best sequences in the picture is their conversation on the phone. Their tone of voice, their body language, and their chemistry with each other, even though they are miles apart is as if they were standing right next to each other. Crowe's choice of actors was once again well thought out.
The film is a reminder that home isn't necessarily where you live, but where people care about you the most. In this case home is in many places. It can be in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, or in a hotel. Home can even be on the open road. Elizabethtown is a great romance and in some ways a rebirth. Crowe's clever writing, perfect camera work, and "cream of the crop" soundtrack really make this movie stand out. Movies like this come around every so often, so take advantage of this one.
Writer/Director Cameron Crowe's latest film Elizabethtown can be considered one of these movies. It stars Orlando Bloom as Drew Baylor, a man who has just caused the shoe company he works for 1 billion dollars for a shoe that doesn't work. After being fired, he prepares to "deal with life" but instead receives a phone call that his father has died while visiting his uncle. It's up to Drew to deliver the suit needed for the funeral.
On his 3 a.m. flight to Louisville he meets a flight attendant named Claire (Kirsten Dunst) and she just wants to have a conversation. Since she knows the area she helps him out by giving him directions. He is too tired to really have a talk about things but instead just smiles and nods as if everything is all right.
In the Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Drew meets the family he never got to know because he lived in Oregon most of his life and was so busy with making the new shoe line. They seem to know all about him yet he doesn't really have a clue as to what is going on, only that they're family...and that's all that counts.
Elizabethtown is a great film on many levels. Crowe's script, much like his previous ones, is extremely well written. His use of dialogue is perfect for the situations the characters are thrown into. Another aspect that enhances the script is the cinematography. The way he positions the camera for each scene makes the scene come alive. It seems like so much time was used to think out each individual shot. And to top it all off...the soundtrack. Much like Almost Famous(2000), this movie has a great soundtrack. Each song is perfect for each scene and really transcends the emotion of each character. The road trip that Drew takes could be a separate soundtrack all by itself.
The only part of the movie I was anxious about before seeing the movie was the acting of Bloom and Dunst and how they would interact. Fortuanetly it worked out. Bloom was a lot better than anticipated and Dunst seemed very into her role. Probably one of the best sequences in the picture is their conversation on the phone. Their tone of voice, their body language, and their chemistry with each other, even though they are miles apart is as if they were standing right next to each other. Crowe's choice of actors was once again well thought out.
The film is a reminder that home isn't necessarily where you live, but where people care about you the most. In this case home is in many places. It can be in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, or in a hotel. Home can even be on the open road. Elizabethtown is a great romance and in some ways a rebirth. Crowe's clever writing, perfect camera work, and "cream of the crop" soundtrack really make this movie stand out. Movies like this come around every so often, so take advantage of this one.