Films that have records and romance seem to be made more frequently that 15 years ago. It must be the so called return of the records on vinyl, because romance was in existence before 1949 and also during the low point of vinyl sales between the mid nineties and late 00's. High Fidelity was deemed the tombstone, the last movie of the dying medium, that records and romance came hand in hand, but since there is a comeback of the medium, it could as well be the springboard for everything that followed.
So here are the pros for this movie: the main idea is clever, there is romance, there is a very sweet and tender performance by Lucy Boynton, there is nice photography and nice set ups of listening rooms, record shop, library, clubs, etc. The music is good enough to carry some of the weight of the movie.
The things that hold back this movie are the awkward dialogues, that do not convey the mixed feelings they were supposed to deliver, and feel a bit iffy. The dialogues are also responsible for the weird pacing, which feels either too slow, giving the same information in many ways, or too fast, making leaps in the relation that feel un-natural. The new developing romance changes gears all too often, when it started way too fast without any justification, or without giving efficient information to back it up. Then the ensuing conversations trying to remedy a situation / relationship that hasn't really begun, feels way too much and not justified, a bit forced, too. I don't know if it is a faulty script or bad editing, but there is something wrong there.
And then I found it out while watching the film: a nice proof for her time travel, to anyone that asks, would be to name a specific public place and hide/bury an item there that would be found in the future, the second time they search. I knew this would be the solution, because it was the only reason he would be so negative to her experience, when he seemed so loving otherwise. It was carrying the plot in a most obvious way, shaking the balance all the while.
The cast couldn't carry the weight of the uneven script, and the open but hasty ending tries to smooth the corners and solve the time travel paradoxes, but actually hardly saves the day and ties loose ends. And her sacrifice rang so many familiarity bells, but I couldn't put my finger on it. It will eventually come to me and probably you!
Edit: just came to me what movie concept it reminded me of, time travel and sacrifice at the end: The butterfly effect. Let me know if it reminds you of the same!
So here are the pros for this movie: the main idea is clever, there is romance, there is a very sweet and tender performance by Lucy Boynton, there is nice photography and nice set ups of listening rooms, record shop, library, clubs, etc. The music is good enough to carry some of the weight of the movie.
The things that hold back this movie are the awkward dialogues, that do not convey the mixed feelings they were supposed to deliver, and feel a bit iffy. The dialogues are also responsible for the weird pacing, which feels either too slow, giving the same information in many ways, or too fast, making leaps in the relation that feel un-natural. The new developing romance changes gears all too often, when it started way too fast without any justification, or without giving efficient information to back it up. Then the ensuing conversations trying to remedy a situation / relationship that hasn't really begun, feels way too much and not justified, a bit forced, too. I don't know if it is a faulty script or bad editing, but there is something wrong there.
And then I found it out while watching the film: a nice proof for her time travel, to anyone that asks, would be to name a specific public place and hide/bury an item there that would be found in the future, the second time they search. I knew this would be the solution, because it was the only reason he would be so negative to her experience, when he seemed so loving otherwise. It was carrying the plot in a most obvious way, shaking the balance all the while.
The cast couldn't carry the weight of the uneven script, and the open but hasty ending tries to smooth the corners and solve the time travel paradoxes, but actually hardly saves the day and ties loose ends. And her sacrifice rang so many familiarity bells, but I couldn't put my finger on it. It will eventually come to me and probably you!
Edit: just came to me what movie concept it reminded me of, time travel and sacrifice at the end: The butterfly effect. Let me know if it reminds you of the same!