Reviewing Dinner in America was one of those fortuitous little coincidences that come with this particular racket. I see a lot of good movies, a lot of even great movies, but then there are movies – for whatever reason – which wriggle under my skin and embed themselves in my life. Christmas Again was one of those movies as well. I’ve probably seen it more than fifteen times since I first reviewed it. Dinner in America very quickly became one of “those” movies. I reviewed it, went back immediately and watched it again … and again … put it on my best of 2022 list – a lonely position, until John Waters put it on his list too. EVERYONE looks forward to John Waters’ end of year list. I felt very validated! I’ve written more about the film since the initial review. I was very excited to see Adam Rehmeier’s new film – also with Kyle Gallner – Carolina Caroline, and co-starring Samara Weaving You could look at it and say, “Oh, that’s Bonnie and Clyde”, and of course those cinematic references are present … but the characters are different and I was just so touched by Carolina Caroline‘s love story. Samara Weaving and Gallner create one of the more valid onscreen romances I’ve seen in a long time – like, they feel like a real couple, and how it develops feels authentic and organic. You only realize how rare this is – particularly in our weirdly sexless movie era – when you actually see it done well. Plus, there are bank robberies and costumes and two lovers on the run! I reviewed for Ebert.
What a lovely review, it says so much about you as if you were confessing to a priest.
“Chemistry isn’t about people being naked in bed. Chemistry is about how people listen to each other talk.” So true.
“Greed isn’t the motivator. The money barely matters. It’s basically a fun thing for them to do together as a couple.” Nothing could be described better.
How powerful and delicate your writing is. I’m reminded of some French films.
Clary – thank you! speaking of French films – so many good examples of lovers-in-a-cool-car-and-possibly-murderous movies. Pierrot le Fou comes to mind!
The more I think about Carolina Caroline the more I realize what a delicate line they had to walk, what a narrow distinction had to be made if it was going to work. The movie requires that you the audience “get into” the romance/chemistry part of it – you have to get on board with them as a couple. You have to see what they each see in one another. Both have “agency”. This is legitimate chemistry. Which you don’t feel in, say, Badlands – where they both are so “off” already you wish they had never met each other!! Badlands is almost anti-chemistry in very interesting disturbing ways.
Here, though, they’re running teeny cons with this “give me a larger bill in exchange” thing – not exactly cold-blooded murder. That con only yields them five or ten dollars. They’re in it maybe for the cleverness of it. There’s something very touching about them together – I was surprised by my reaction.
Again, I think it would have been very easy to tell this movie in a different way – i.e. “hardened charming criminal corrupts a naive girl” – this is not that at all, so they really had to be intentional with the love scenes and the chemistry part of it. I feel like they were really clear in what they were going after.
Confessing to a priest! Ha!
Thanks again.
//I’ve written more about the film //
I’m literally crying with laughter, that thread is so insane. We were doing our best to create a nice moment enjoying something in a hard moment!
It was so fun!! I hadn’t been able to talk with anyone about the film because nobody had even seen it – it was so frustrating. so that thread was like – OPEN THE FLOODGATES.