One Day (2011)

jaleelidin on 8/30/2011 Reply  ·  Like  ·  (0 likes)

one day

jeffallenhammer on 9/1/2011 Reply  ·  Like  ·  (0 likes)

Type your comment here...Does life imitate art or does art imitate life? I'm one who tends to avoid the discussion entirely by saying "both." One Day is the most real (save a few accents) movie I've seen in a long time. It explores time and how it often slips away from us. Our hearts' desires are often decimated by bad timing, and the movie finds a variety of ways to demonstrate this. So in the case of One Day, art imitates life to the fullest, as we can all sympathize (if only a little) to crushed hopes and shattered dreams, though hopefully we eventually find our way.
Anne Hathaway stars as insecure working-class woman Emma, who, for one reason or another is drawn to Dexter, (Jim Sturgess) a charming upper middle class man with a great amount of self-confidence. It may be hard to understand just what the two have on each other, but they are characters I'm familiar with. The woman who is way too into a man that’s way too into himself, it happens and for the type, Dex is pretty likeable. Em and Dex have nothing in common. But their opposite personalities do what a relationship should; make each other better. They are Yin and Yang, complementary opposites.
An interesting technique used by One Day, is that we only get to see the events of a single day, July 15, for each of 20 plus years. Some of my peers have taken to calling this a gimmick. In a year where it seems every other film is either a sequel or a remake/reboot, (which critics and public alike have grown tired of) I feel fresh ideas should be applauded, even if it doesn't quite work. For me, however, it worked to perfection. Director Lone Scherfig (An Education) paints the picture of Em and Dex's up and down relationship with great finesse, never having too much happen on the date year to year. The filmmaker fills us in on what has taken place throughout each year, without conversations seeming inorganic. The cinematography is beautiful, especially a scene where our would-be lovers break all their rules by taking a dip at sunset. There's plenty of humor, joy, sadness, regret and a number of other emotions to be felt. I caution viewers that this isn't a romantic comedy, nor does it end like one. One Day is, however, easily one of the most heartfelt films of the year and should be celebrated for its bravery.