Me And You And Everyone We Know...everything you could want

Me And You And Everyone We Know - Miranda July - 2005 - 9/10

Summary:

Richard Swersey (John Hawkes) is a shoe salesman who's life seems to be slipping away from him. His wife wants to separate and he struggles to raise his two boys (Miles Thompson and Brandon Ratcliff) while coping with the loss of the woman he thought was his soulmate. Into his life comes Christine Jesperson (Miranda July basically playing herself) an artist who decides she and Richard are meant to be together. Christine is outgoing and goes for what she wants, whether it is the publication of her work, or winning over Richard. Richard can't take Christine's forwardness and panics. Meanwhile, Richard's friend Andrew (Brad William Henke) tries to control his urges when two neighborhood teens (Natasha Slayton and Najarra Townswend) start aggressively flirting with him. When the girls aren't trying to get into Andrew's pants, they try to get into the pants of Richard's eldest son Peter (Miles Thompson). Not to be left behind in the sexual practice ground of their wild neighborhood, Richard's six year old son Robby (Brandon Ratcliff) engages in a quirky internet relationship with a perfect stranger.

Critique:

This whole movie is amazing - it looks good, feels good, and is frankly, really good. Everything has the perfect tempo, and there is just enough indie movie and arthouse flavor with a small amount of romantic comedy to make the movie special. Each of the stories are so compelling - Richard's profound hurt at losing his soulmate, Christine's unrequitted love, and the kids using each other to learn their way in the world of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. It's one of those movies where you can relate to ALL of the stories - each character is a protagonist in their own right. This unique aspect sets the movie apart and makes it one of the best movies I've seen this summer. July should be commended for working in her own sort of performance art and creating such a powerful story. I especially like how the two boys - in their childlike innocence chance upon drawing a picture, of which Peter explains to Robby that becomes the title of the movie - and somes up everything July wishes us to take away from the film. But for that, you have got to see the movie yourself.

Verdict:

See this movie NOW.

If you liked this movie, see...

...Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
...Broken Flowers