Correspondence (2016)

Wonderful character development!

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

A Major Disappointment

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Maybe this is a movie for necrophilic melancholics, but there is next to no joy in it. If you like drama and tragedy it may be for you. Otherwise you shouldn't waste your time. I didn't even understand the idea of the protagonist to drag out the mourning of his love. Sad!

Ed Phoerum (Jeremy Irons) is a renowned astrophysicist having a six year affair with a student Amy Ryan (Olga Kurylenko) who is also an actress/stunt woman. The opening scene was rather drippy which sets up for the cheesy love scenes that will make it impossible for couples to have normal relationships after watching this film. Knowing he is dying, Ed sets up for text messages, letters, and recorded DVDs to be sent to Amy from beyond the grave. Ed was very astute and knew Amy's schedule and her too.One of the discussions is String Theory which includes parallel and alternate universes from which we can have some sort on immortality of be able to communicate with each other. Amy realizes Ed lives on his her life as a dead star whose remnant we still see.This is not a film for everyone and requires a hopeless romantic with a little bit of a geek background. It is way too long at 2 hours as the Ed run around grew tiresome.Guide: F-word and nudity (Olga Kurylenko)

Italian filmmaker Giuseppe Tornatore has brought many terrific films to the silver screen including "Malena", and what I would regard as an all- time classic movie "Cinema Paradiso". Some may regard this latest effort as romantic but others will look at it as quite pretentious, and unfortunately I fall into that latter category.The fine actor Jeremy Irons portrays Astrophysics Professor Dr. Ed Phoerum who for six years has been in a passionate relationship with one of his former students Amy Ryan, played by Olga Kurylenko. Attending a seminar one day,she learns of his death and goes into sudden shock and grief. However, she begins to receive many cryptic messages, CD's, and other communications which seem to indicate that he's somehow aware of her activities each day.Amy begins to investigate how this is possible and will slowly learn the truth, so that by the end of the film it will all be revealed. Sorry, but it all seemed quite preposterous to me, and additionally I was never able to connect emotionally to the characters here.

What do you need in order to create a movie in the inverted order from the usual story line: the one that starts with the line "From death do us part" and ends with the line "They lived happily ever after"? The answer is simple: You need a mastermind like Giuseppe Tornatore. A mind capable of inventing such interesting story, told through inspirational dialogues and intriguing plot. The final product entitled "The Correspondence" is equally impressive as an independent piece of art, as well as a juxtaposing part of Tornatore's previous movie "The Best Offer". The beauty of comparing his recent films (written in English) lies in the opportunity to grasp the big picture. Both movies revolve around couples and involve prototypical males (rational yet highly emotional, thus men in touch with their feminine side) and prototypical females (fragile yet strong, thus women in touch with their masculine side). Both have impressive cast for the role of the men (Jeremy Irons / Geoffrey Rush) and expressive cast for the role of the women (Olga Kurylenko /Sylvia Hoeks). "The Best Offer" deals with the mysterious appearance of the female character, while "The Correspondence" seals the deal with the mysterious disappearance of the male character. The first speaks about losing oneself when finding the significant other, while the second movie speaks about finding oneself while losing the significant other.Indeed, the theme of loss is ever-present in each frame and pixel of "The Correspondence". Someone might wonder if something so void and devoid of any words, something as ineffable as loss could ever be explained through words? It can and it ought to be, since the communication is the purest form of connection between a man and a woman, a marriage of their ideas, an ideal in itself, an open door to the deepest human connection. As long as we perceive the words spoken outside of our heads (in the books, songs or mouths of other people) as coded messages from the loved one, and as long we use all words existing inside of our heads as messages for our loved one, there will be connection. As such, the words are symbol of focus, of attention, and constant (re)invention of the significant other. Their presence signifies life, their absence – death (even in a symbolic manner) of the other.Within this movie, the characters use words to reach to one another, somewhere, anywhere. With this movie the director uses words, to hopefully reach toward each one of us, everywhere. With this review, I use words, maybe also to reach to someone, somewhere, out there… Biljana Gjoneska www.evermind.me