Review of Me Without You (2001) by Andy F — 03 Apr 2005

[font=Book Antiqua][color=white]Michelle Williams and Anna Friel play Holly and Marina, two people who are so different in numerous ways and would have never become friends if it weren't for the fact that they grew up next door to each other...but that's what happened, so they're inseparable from the beginning. This is the third of three films I watched yesterday, and the best of them, so I thought I'd write about it first since it's the freshest in my mind. [/color][/font].

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[color=white][font=Book Antiqua]Sandra Goldbacher directs and co-writes [i][font=Book Antiqua]Me Without You[/font][/i], a refreshingly smart and original take on the journey of a winding friendship between two girls that grow into women together on the outskirts of [/font][font=Book Antiqua]London[/font][font=Book Antiqua]. The film follows these two and their families from 1973 all the way until 2001, making for one bumpy ride throughout. Holly and Marina share everything, even if they disagree on most of what they?re sharing. As the film opens we are thrown into their already tight bond at around the end of their elementary school years. Holly is quiet and keeps to herself around everyone except [/font][font=Book Antiqua]Marina[/font][font=Book Antiqua], including her parents who seem to have more of an approving for Marina rather than their own daughter. When they hang out they hang out at [/font][font=Book Antiqua]Marina[/font][font=Book Antiqua]?s house always, because her mother enforces no laws of any kind and has virtually no mature parenting manners, and her father is constantly gone for many days or even weeks at a time. Holly begins to develop a childhood obsession for [/font][font=Book Antiqua]Marina[/font][font=Book Antiqua]?s older brother, Nat, one that is so strong it never fully evaporates even as she ages. As the film chugs along years ahead at a time it touches down on important eras of the girl?s lives. The essential years in high school when friends from an earlier age begin to realize differences in each other are depicted extremely well by both the film and its actors. Then the film moves along into the early 80?s as Holly and [/font][font=Book Antiqua]Marina[/font][font=Book Antiqua] begin college. It is in these times that the relationship becomes even more complicated when they both fall for their teacher, Daniel (played by Kyle McLachlan in a great performance). Holly is attracted to Daniel for many reasons, while [/font][font=Book Antiqua]Marina[/font][font=Book Antiqua] wants him simply because Holly does. What results from this conflict is the inevitable and their friendship takes another beating, and it continues to take more and more throughout the years. So why do these people continue to stay friends? Because if they?re going to be hurt it might as well be from each other rather than from someone else, right? This is one of the strangest and most heartbreaking and most wonderful odd relationships I?ve seen in film. [/font][/color].

[color=white][font=Times New Roman]Michelle Williams is quietly commanding in the film and Anna Friel is a force to be reckoned with as they give performances that are severely underrated. Oliver Milburn shows big promise as Nat, and Trudie Styler is convincing as Marina?s troubled mother. The screenplay is strong and weaves through nearly 30 years with a telling, swift motion as the film clocks in at exactly 100 minutes. Williams is the core of the film?s success and gives a performance that is another brilliant one to add to her growing list to admire. She was terrific in [i]The Station Agent [/i]and convincing in the less than convincing film [i]The United States of Leland[/i]. I guess the girls from [i]Dawson?s Creek [/i]decided to take their acting careers seriously way more than the boys. Katie Holmes has faired the best since then, creating great characters in [i]The Ice Storm[/i], Go, [i]Wonder Boys[/i], [i]The Gift,[/i] and [i]Pieces of April[/i]. Although everyone from that television show has done their share of bad things, it?s nice to see at least Holmes and Williams breaking out into the occasional independent film showing us what they can do if given good material. Hopefully there are more films that equal the effectiveness of [i]Me Without You [/i]in Williams? future. [/font][/color].