'Wishful Thinking' was shown on TV last night, with more appearing after midnight than before. I'm afraid I was rather tired, and dozed off here and there. I do not recommend napping during this title, as there is so much of the content which the viewer needs to tie together. There isn't much padding. Fortunately, I was smart enough to record this title in case it was worth a review, and I'm glad I did. I watched it again this morning, and made so much more of it now that I'm in more awake mode.
The plot is based around a quintet's relationships: three guys and two girls. I found all of the characters interesting. True to real life, each displayed virtues and vices. As far as I'm concerned, this does qualify as a comedy. It is not the slapstick variety, but a quiet sense of humour, which amused me, pervades the movie. I'm not so sure that it is a romantic comedy, because the romance isn't really touching enough, but I wouldn't call it unromantic.
The whole quintet played their parts well, and which of them we prefer will depend on our outlook on life. Elizabeth (Jennifer Beals) was the character I liked best. There was something very charming and commendable about Elizabeth, and I will look forward to seeing Jennifer Beals again on my screen if she has done any similar work. I also enjoyed Henry (Jon Stewart), a character of depth whose company would be great fun and appreciated by everybody.
I'm no expert, so what I am about to say concerning the film's director, Adam Park, may reap disdain from those more knowledgeable than I, those having different tastes, or those who have a different understanding of life. I thought the director did a great job in many respects. Like 'Pleasantville', the clever use of colour and monochrome added an extra dimension. There were plenty of facial close-ups, which I need to get a good feel for a character. Continuity might seem somewhat disjointed, but that is the nature of this beast. In fact, the viewer is steadily gaining more of the overall picture throughout. I would like to make three points in particular: (i) This film is well structured, but demands intelligence and alertness from the audience. Other reviews indicate that it is easy to lose track of the action, and some will fail to make the necessary connections. (ii) The ending, shown concurrently with the credits, gives a strong indication as to how events pan out, but it wasn't sufficiently conclusive for me. As a person who loves everything properly wrapped up and with a happy-ever-after ending, I didn't have full confidence in the enduring quality of the suggested final relationships. I'm willing to grant that they might be promising, however. (iii) Particularly as the writing credits were attributed to the director, please take note that a significant minority of us don't like effing in the scripts, of which there were about five bouts in 'Wishful Thinking'. Also, cheap laughs might be had by demonstrating a lack of respect for God and religion, but the serious consequences of this will only be understood by many when they inevitably meet their Maker. The moral tone, language and respect for God in a film largely determines whether or not I am willing to buy the DVD, if there is one. In this case, it would need to be exceedingly cheap to tempt me, but by that I am not suggesting this movie is without merit.
To sum up, please don't judge this movie on a single viewing. It improves greatly on the second time around, and I would certainly be tempted to watch it again in a while, if and when it is re-shown.
The plot is based around a quintet's relationships: three guys and two girls. I found all of the characters interesting. True to real life, each displayed virtues and vices. As far as I'm concerned, this does qualify as a comedy. It is not the slapstick variety, but a quiet sense of humour, which amused me, pervades the movie. I'm not so sure that it is a romantic comedy, because the romance isn't really touching enough, but I wouldn't call it unromantic.
The whole quintet played their parts well, and which of them we prefer will depend on our outlook on life. Elizabeth (Jennifer Beals) was the character I liked best. There was something very charming and commendable about Elizabeth, and I will look forward to seeing Jennifer Beals again on my screen if she has done any similar work. I also enjoyed Henry (Jon Stewart), a character of depth whose company would be great fun and appreciated by everybody.
I'm no expert, so what I am about to say concerning the film's director, Adam Park, may reap disdain from those more knowledgeable than I, those having different tastes, or those who have a different understanding of life. I thought the director did a great job in many respects. Like 'Pleasantville', the clever use of colour and monochrome added an extra dimension. There were plenty of facial close-ups, which I need to get a good feel for a character. Continuity might seem somewhat disjointed, but that is the nature of this beast. In fact, the viewer is steadily gaining more of the overall picture throughout. I would like to make three points in particular: (i) This film is well structured, but demands intelligence and alertness from the audience. Other reviews indicate that it is easy to lose track of the action, and some will fail to make the necessary connections. (ii) The ending, shown concurrently with the credits, gives a strong indication as to how events pan out, but it wasn't sufficiently conclusive for me. As a person who loves everything properly wrapped up and with a happy-ever-after ending, I didn't have full confidence in the enduring quality of the suggested final relationships. I'm willing to grant that they might be promising, however. (iii) Particularly as the writing credits were attributed to the director, please take note that a significant minority of us don't like effing in the scripts, of which there were about five bouts in 'Wishful Thinking'. Also, cheap laughs might be had by demonstrating a lack of respect for God and religion, but the serious consequences of this will only be understood by many when they inevitably meet their Maker. The moral tone, language and respect for God in a film largely determines whether or not I am willing to buy the DVD, if there is one. In this case, it would need to be exceedingly cheap to tempt me, but by that I am not suggesting this movie is without merit.
To sum up, please don't judge this movie on a single viewing. It improves greatly on the second time around, and I would certainly be tempted to watch it again in a while, if and when it is re-shown.