Review of Medicine for Melancholy (2009) by Thomas W — 13 Mar 2010

A relatively quiet, slow-paced movie about two strangers spending a day together in gorgeous San Francisco after having a one-night stand. The movie is about meaningful conversation, personal identity, leisurely strolls and bike rides.

Very "little" actually happens in the film -- other than a little bit of sex and a lot of talking -- and so this would appeal to very few people. This was the unknown movie I got sent this week from Netflix and I was able to watch it; but that doesn't mean I will be recommending it to any of my friends either.

It takes some patience to get through it and some of the acting feels a little staged and rehearsed (not polished, I should say ... I could tell when "action" was yelled behind the camera). Saying that, I believe the male lead, Wyatt Cenac, is a promising actor and could one day find himself in a larger-budget film.

The movie is filmed in black and white ... which is most interesting because Cenac's character views the world in black and white -- and not the colors, but the "black" and "white" of race.

Everything to him boils down to race. When he asks someone else to impossibly describe themselves using ONLY one word, he says it is an easy task because his one word for himself is black. He has problems with his one-night stand because she is living with and dating a man of a different race -- although she doesn't see it since she views all as human beings.

Do we still need to cling to race or are we moving past that? What makes us who we are? I think these were questions she had already answered for herself but his argument and concern over her way of life makes her re-access herself and also examine him.

There is a lot of thought here in this fest-winning film and only at the end of the movie do we get a true glimpse of color with a shot of a beautiful bunch of colorful flowers found on a city balcony.

What brings about this shot of color? Revealing that would be giving away the film and I don't do that. It is a thoughtful film that I liked (not necessarily enjoyed) ... but it isn't one that many would.