(M) Me and You and Everyone We Knew (2005, Miranda July) Grade: B+

Some of the best films are those in which you struggle to summarize. Me and You... is one of those films. I found the central theme to be connection and disconnect between the characters, amongst others. The overall feeling of the film is a dreamy, ethereal one, as you attempt to understand the characters, who are mainly off-the-cuff, unconventional and quite frankly, bizarre. Although Miranda July's debut is an impressive one, it is not free of faults. It makes passes at achieving great feats through simple moments (i.e. the fish on the car) and sometimes they fall flat. Several sequences are effective however. July's character, Christine, is a perfectly vulnerable, somewhat isolated contemporary artist. The most memorable scene is when she helps her love interest Richard "fit" a picture of a bird in the bushes. She finds a tree that fits perfectly and this quiet moment communicates their connection. Christine's primary care, an old man who has fallen in love at the age of 70, is the most regretful romantic. He finds the love of his life too late in life, living most of his years with a woman that he never really loved. The most romantic lines are his: Maybe I needed the time to be able to fall in love with a woman as amazing as Ellen.

This film had the potential to be a lot more, but I respect it and anticipate more from July. When Richard sets his hand on fire and Christine asks why, he gives her the long answer, I was trying to save my life. The short answer? I burned myself. It's one of the best moments.