"Thirteen Conversations About One Thing" (2001) - Movie Review

We ask many times about what exactly the act of doing good things to others mean? In the sense, what is the cause and effect of it? Is the most trivial and casual thing we do form a ripple of miseries to others? So basically it asks how humans as such are connected in this modern world of advanced technology. Patricia (Amy Irving) says that some study shows that all the humans expect eighteen inches of personal space around them. And you cannot be more overwhelmed by the fact, because it is true. We do not want some one under our radar for some strange reasons we are not aware of. Of course as the other lady in the room with Patricia says that people may look out for themselves, but it is an emotional detachment represented in physical space.

The film collages various scenes following four main characters and things surrounding them. It is non-linear and the time line is pretty much realized by the scenes before and after it is over immediately or may be some few scenes back. Is it a trend to give movies in a fashion like this for some independent look or to explicitly say that it is not a conventional movie? Out here at least it attaches perfectly with the type and content, director Jill Spreecher is trying to say. When I came to America, the first thing I noticed in the behaviour of people is that they greet even a stranger. They nod and smile. They say “Good Morning”. And some times you can even see how fast the formal smile move to stern face within fractions of seconds as soon as you pass by. While that gives some fake behaviour to it, I like the intentions. It has become more of a routine but I have seen some one really feel and mean when they wish or greet. It makes your day, or may be at that instance. It gives some one reassurance that there is peace and relationship existent in this world of fast clocks and slow deaths. The film picks for that reason a totally different setting where things like this does not happen. Wherein if some one stops and start to wish every one they pass by, either they will not reach the place they want to or get mugged. This is New York. And here people live fast life. Very nice ideal spot to deliver or to say the simple complexities in our life.

How much do we walk the talk? Here comes Troy (Mathew McConaughey) who seems to believe that law and order exists because of lawyers like him working in the District Attorney’s office. He wears the glass which shows black and while. Right and Wrong. He knows the clear demarcation in between the two. With a statement he gives to his sub ordinate while dropping him off, we realize that. And he encounters the real terror himself. He believes to have hit some one by his car. He panics. And he takes off. Quite unbelievable isn’t it? How quick we judged him to be the guardian of law? It takes a while for us to digest his actions. He is totally engulfed with guilt. He does not turn himself in. I guess the ego in him and the hard work he put forward to get there shuts the system of his belief. Every time he thinks about it, he sees the dark future in his life. He decides to punish himself in private and slowly move in to the depth of doom in real world. The reason I went far ahead with this story is that I explored the expression and pain he goes through. Some where the questioning of values and beliefs makes me question myself. What I would have done? Comfortably sitting in my couch, instantaneously I would say that I will call the cops immediately. But I cannot tell it for a fact since I am not in it and hope will not be at all. This feeling ran close to my heart and hence more stopping on this segment.

The other sections wander and explore the bitter sweet simplicities and complexities in life. Things which are good for some turns into bad fortune for others and the cycle keep on going. It seems that every one tries so hard and pressures themselves to be dissolved in the sweat of selfishness. Some think it is predictable, some think it is not ideal, some think it is not fair, some think it is not real but it takes enormous audacity to face it and bent with the life as it comes. Regrets are the sweet poison of excuses one gives for themselves to feel good. People are afraid of change and mainly of other people. We immerse ourselves in the chores of making money that the real feeling of considering other people appears strange. While every one fights hard to be accepted in a system forgets the fact to respect the each other in it to run it harmoniously.

Someone like Jean (Alan Arkin) who forgot to smile due to his failure in personal life. And his exact opposite happy go lucky Wade Bowman (William Wise). Bowman bubbles with happiness every day and every minute. Jean cannot believe it and in fact quite cruelly puts money on its authenticity. We see Beatrice (Clea DuVall) losing her vision of positivism once she is questioned of her behaviour. In the middle of his life, Walker (John Turturo) who is versatile in understanding the law of physics is still not able to understand the mechanics of life.

It is not all these people go through their worst nightmares. They are simple usual people every one encounters and hence it feels it happens to us in a remote close way. This feeling of being among them with a subtle disdain, misery and frown makes us fear for the same. Similarly as some characters look upon, we lift our heads up to the positive and self belief characters in it. The movie is like a poetry written on a paper. And it gets torn into pieces by the people who see life as an extensive tenure of misery and by the others who see it as a life of fulfillment at the give moment, as an ordeal. In the film, both these people try to paste the torn pieces together and form the sweet simple poetry of life.