Blue Jay is an entirely different
love story. The typical would just have a boy and a girl act out the romance;
as it goes through its ups and downs until then by the end the audience would
be all mushy and daydream on when and where can they find such a lover.
Blue Jay also goes through those
steps but only in the mind. This is a romance of the what-could-have-been.
A chance meeting at the grocery
brings back the former high school sweethearts Jim (Mark Duplass) and Amanda
(Sarah Paulson) together. They have
since moved on after school but were in town for different reasons. Jim’s
mother has just died and he has control of the house. Amanda is in town to assist
her sister who is having a baby. And as small town scenery have been famous to
do, the two just followed the steps back to the day when they were one.
What is it about small town
sceneries that it rewinds the soul? The scenery is just perfect for the two as
they literally walk back to yesterday.
Ironically, nothing blue was ever
in the movie because it is all black and white. I assume – though the
filmmakers will have a more experienced answer – it is to create a more
nostalgic feel. I can never be sure though without the experience of at least
watching this movie in color.
Blue Jay is nearly just a two
person movie with the exemption of the old man who owns a store. It’s like the
Before trilogy (which admittedly I haven’t seen but it feels like there’s only
two characters talking) by Richard Linklater. Blue Jay will make or break with
Mark and Sarah and I assure you they made it. They really feel like old lovers.
It is beautiful how they, just the two of them, have navigated through a whole
host of emotions.
At first there was of course fear
of not being recognized or acknowledge, then immediately there was bravado,
just the typical that one puts up when they see an old classmate from high
school. Then there’s envy that’s somehow close to regret – cross between gee
she’s had a good life why not me or why not with me, but I’m happy that she
did.
Eventually they do hit the mark when they act that they really were back
in high school. It is beautiful that their emotion seesaws like that they are
aware it is no longer high school to ‘we were such a perfect couple’ back then.
The story is at it's peak when someone breaks.
The bravado is seen to be empty; they are the perfect couple now, even years hence since high school. What went
wrong?
Life happened. So what is there to do at this point?
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