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Thursday, June 28, 2012

Is "People Like Us" For People Like Us?

DreamWorks Distribution
DreamWorks Distribution

The glossily photographed family drama People Like Us is not without appeal, but it has a major construction flaw. It’s dramatic arc is predicated on the problem of accidental incestuous attraction. Egads.

Well hey, we can't have movies based on real life issues, right? Ms. Pols, are you really against the idea of adults being attracted to each other, or are you just pretending like it to play to the prejudice of some of your readers?
You know nothing will actually happen because this is a Disney movie, not a dreamy art film (like say Rebecca Miller’s The Ballad of Jack and Rose) but the whole movie marches toward the horrible moment when one of two newly acquainted half siblings, the more sympathetic one, will make a pass at the other and be rebuffed. It’s hideously compelling, like being in the room when one woman asks a woman who isn’t pregnant when she’s due, except that exchange is typically over in 30 spectacularly awful seconds and this one lasts two hours.
Uh, half siblings have been brought together through Genetic Sexual Attraction and have had healthy, beautiful, full relationships together.
Essentially this is the same set up as the stereotypical romantic comedy where one party withholds a secret while the clueless one gives away his or her heart—only the looming revelation is not “I’m the hotel maid/your business rival/journalist who writing a hit piece on you” but “uh, I’m your brother so maybe let’s not kiss.” They’re relying on the misunderstanding for drama, but because they don’t want anything to seem too weird, they’ve given Sam a girlfriend (Olivia Wilde) who is across the country for most of the movie. She’s the audience’s reassurance that however weird it starts to seem with Sam and Frankie, this isn’t that kind film. 
C'mon, Hollywood... it is time for a real and unflinching major motion picture with GSA in which the lovers have a happy ending together after fending off the confusion and haters.

If you go see "People Like Us," please share what you think, won't you?
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2 comments:

  1. If you're interested, there's an Italian movie, "Il 7 e l'8" (literally, "The 7 and the 8), in which (SPOILER!) two babies, Tommaso and Daniele, are born the same day in tha same hospital, but Tommaso is given to Daniele's family and vice versa. 30 years later Daniele and Eleonora, Tommaso's sister who is actually Daniele's sister, fall in love, they just share a kiss because they are already engaged with other people. Daniele and Tommaso discover that they have always lived in each other families and start to look for Tommaso's bio-father, Mimmo Barresi, who should be in San Giovanni in Calice. The two are to leave when suddenly Eleonora join them because she have just broke-up with her fiance and wants to share time with Daniele, but she doesn't know the man she loves he's actually her brother! During the travel she always show the love she feel for him, Daniele feels a bit embarassed for it, he knows the truth. They go to sleep in a hotel, during tha night Eleonora goes to Daniele's room and he is obliged to telle the truth. Eleonora doesn't seem to be sad, she tells Daniele: "Sei davvero il miglior fratello che si possa immaginare" ("You're really the best brother I can imagine"). They discover Mimmo Barresi is dead (actually isn't) and return home, Daniele and Eleonora still doesn't know what to do about their relationship, even if they seem to be happy... I WANT A SEQUEL! :D

    Unfortunately there are no english version of the movie.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ACCIDENTAL INCEST AT THE MAURY SHOW:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7Ty0MpPpA4
    Now, it seems a bit strange that two lovers go to prove they are related on a TV SHOW (!), so ACCORDING TO ME it's likely to be a false story, but the point is always the same:
    0 empathy from the outsiders, just hateful comments, bigotry and prejudices -.-

    ReplyDelete

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