(Only very minor spoilers in these comments.)
First, as a disclaimer, I have to point out that I am a self-proclaimed white trash boy who usually isn't too much into ''cerebral'' movies. Memento did not do anything for me, for instance, and I sometimes have trouble with the relatively slow pace that can be found in some Asian movies.
Well, Last Life in the Universe is slow, the narrative is non-linear, and there is not much dialogue. Yet, I loved every minute of it. I guess the best analogy I can come up with is that it is as if Lost in Translation had met Pulp Fiction. However, despite the fact I loved both of these movies, it does not do Last Life in the Universe justice. This movie is much better than that.
It is touching, entertaining, and even hilarious at times. Sure, the complete absence of linearity will turn some people off (e.g., the introductory credits start rolling over one hour into the movie), and I expect a few users will give it a 1. But, if you can hold on, and wait until the director has decided to give you all the pieces of the puzzle, you won't be disappointed. The ending is one of the best that I have seen in quite a while. By the way, the non-linearity completely makes sense by the end of the movie; presenting it as a set of different stories sheds a light on the many different facets of the personalities of the main characters, thereby giving them even more depth, and is probably the best way of unravelling the plot.
As an added bonus, the acting is stellar. Most of the movie is silent because of the language barrier between the two main protagonists, and it's refreshing to see some actors that can act (and boy, can they!) without having to speak. Besides, the lead actress is gorgeous.
A very serious contender for the best movie I have seen this year, and I have seen many more than I am willing to admit.
First, as a disclaimer, I have to point out that I am a self-proclaimed white trash boy who usually isn't too much into ''cerebral'' movies. Memento did not do anything for me, for instance, and I sometimes have trouble with the relatively slow pace that can be found in some Asian movies.
Well, Last Life in the Universe is slow, the narrative is non-linear, and there is not much dialogue. Yet, I loved every minute of it. I guess the best analogy I can come up with is that it is as if Lost in Translation had met Pulp Fiction. However, despite the fact I loved both of these movies, it does not do Last Life in the Universe justice. This movie is much better than that.
It is touching, entertaining, and even hilarious at times. Sure, the complete absence of linearity will turn some people off (e.g., the introductory credits start rolling over one hour into the movie), and I expect a few users will give it a 1. But, if you can hold on, and wait until the director has decided to give you all the pieces of the puzzle, you won't be disappointed. The ending is one of the best that I have seen in quite a while. By the way, the non-linearity completely makes sense by the end of the movie; presenting it as a set of different stories sheds a light on the many different facets of the personalities of the main characters, thereby giving them even more depth, and is probably the best way of unravelling the plot.
As an added bonus, the acting is stellar. Most of the movie is silent because of the language barrier between the two main protagonists, and it's refreshing to see some actors that can act (and boy, can they!) without having to speak. Besides, the lead actress is gorgeous.
A very serious contender for the best movie I have seen this year, and I have seen many more than I am willing to admit.