The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby Review
RYAN: There’s something really interesting about the way this movie was made. It’s actually a trilogy of films; or more accurately, three different versions of the same film. It was basically shot in 40 days and then edited into three films: Her, from the perspective of Jessica Chastain’s character, Him, from that of James McAvoy, and then Them, from the perspective of the pair. I’ve only seen Them but would really liked to have seen all three at once. He’s a first time writer/director and it’s as novel an approach to filmmaking as Boyhood earlier this year.
CAROLINE: Yeah I heard about this movie. It’s certainly an interesting concept. How entertaining was it?
RYAN: Fairly. I love these stars – James and Jessica – and they both give great performances. I just think I’m a bit lost by the editing. You’re entirely confused much of the time. You know how in some movies you know what’s happening even before the characters? In this one, you feel like an outsider. They know what the deal is but you’re totally lost for much of it until the clues pop up. That’s cool as a storytelling device and I’m sure if you’d sit through all six hours of these movies, it would be a lot more fulfilling.
CAROLINE: Eek. I can’t sit through six hours of a movie. (laughs)
RYAN: Yeah I wish the Them edit would really be a great movie on it’s own; but as it stands, it feels incomplete. If the goal is to inspire the audience to see all three, then it succeeds. But I would have liked to have been invited to see the other two versions of the film as well. This is an odd experience.
CAROLINE: Sounds really weird.
RYAN: It’s not an entirely weird movie. It’s just a little frustrating and then slowly makes sense and the end is very unfulfilling. Specifically, at the beginning, you don’t know what the relationships are between the characters and what their motivations are.
CAROLINE: I hate being confused or out of the loop in movies.
RYAN: Things do happen that start to click and make sense. That’s cool but it’s also annoying. The supporting cast is great – William Hurt, Viola Davis, Bill Hader. It’s a good movie… just has some pacing and story issues, I’m assuming because of editing. I want to see the other two and there’s got to be a brilliant one in there, between the three.
Nathan September 22, 2014
I’ve always been a big fan of James McAvoy. He is an incredible talent. I’ll rent it but if it starts to feel like one of those movies that tries to pass of something “diffrent” as something actually inovative, then I’ll get bored quickly and won’t finish it.