ems97

This movie portrays a man who hyper-displays many stereotypical male characteristics: collecting and categorizing, aggression, inability to take corrections. This man talks to the camera, defending his behavior. To the audience, though, it is clear that his actions are totally silly. I think the point of the movie is to make men like myself think about whether we sometimes have some of the traits portrayed by the main character. For me, one of the things that struck a chord: getting super- excited after it now appears that there is the remotest possibility a relationship, any relationship, going forward (in the movie, "We Are the Champions" plays in the soundtrack here). Also, being more concerned about whether we share interests with a potential partner than whether we are interested in her. So I have a lot to reflect over after watching the movie. I'm sure other scenes will lead other male viewers to reflect on their personal lives.

As someone who is currently 24, I found this film to be very meaningful. The situation of the characters, without direction in life, taking delight in small things like an apartment with cool wall colors, resonates with me. They are interested in having relationships, but seem lost.

The script includes many humorous moments, and feels very realistic given my experience. The characters are reflective, and sometimes even insightful. There are also segments with a voice-over of other people my age reflecting on their experiences.

The acting is hyper-realistic, with people rubbing their noses while talking to friends, and just acting like normal people instead of Hollywood super humans. While some of the situations may be stereotypical (taking laundry home to a parent's house), the script and the acting makes these moments fascinating.

I would recommend this movie for any young adults interested in thinking deeply about their own lives. Perhaps you will find that the characters are feeling their way through the same situations as you.

The movie includes fascinating archival footage and interviews with five former residents of the public housing development. Some of these residents talked about the joyful experiences they had there, while others told harrowing stories. One of the most interesting things was listening to why they moved to the project initially. They told of how exciting it was to get into a modern development.

The movie also suggests some causes for the decline of the project, such as population loss in St. Louis, lack of funding for maintenance, and the loss of manufacturing jobs to the suburbs. When I discussed the movie with friends afterwards, we remained unsure in our speculation about the true causes.