The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them

Greetings again from the darkness. It's tough and probably unfair to write about a film project when key pieces remain unseen. Writer/Director Ned Benson's brilliant first take on the story was released at Toronto Film Festival in two perspectives: "Him" and "Her". A massive re-edit produced "Them", this version released in theatres. As you might expect, knowledge that more exists ... and in probably a more effective story telling format ... renders us a bit frustrated with the blended version. Still, there is plenty here to warrant a look.

This viewer's frustration stems mostly from the long and winding road we travel understanding something tragic has caused the split between El (the titular Eleanor Rigby) and Conor. We are offered a brief glimpse of their happy times, but never get to know them as a happy couple. Instead, Conor is shown trying to re-assemble the pieces, while El tries to move on to a different puzzle altogether.

While the story unfolds in teeth-grinding fashion, it doesn't offset the powerful emotion and personal intensity brought to the screen by both James McAvoy (Conor) and Jessica Chastain (El). Mr. McAvoy has quietly evolved into one of the more interesting actors working, while Ms. Chastain proves herself to be among the best each time she crawls inside a role and makes it her own. We feel for each of them, before we even really know them at all.

Other superb work comes from a sterling supporting cast that includes screen vets William Hurt, Isabelle Huppert, Viola Davis and Ciaran Hinds; as well as Bill Hader, Jess Weixler and Nina Arianda. That's seven characters (plus the two leads) of which we yearn to learn more. Ms. Davis is especially effective in her all too brief appearance as a professor cutting El very little slack. And Mr. Hurt delivers a terrific monologue that strikes a chord.

So all of these wonderful pieces make for an spell-binding what-if that possibly gets answered in the dual-perspective version. The coldness and lack of understanding in the first 45 minutes can't offset the emotion and sadness that each character feels. Rumor has it that "Him" and "Her" will get their release this year, and if so, I'll be there in an attempt to complete both puzzles.

Apparently different versions exist. This IMDb site lists the running time as a little over two hours, but the version I saw was listed at well over three hours. It was very long, basically two movies back to back. Many of the scenes were shown twice, from the perspective of the two principals, with differences that were sometimes striking and sometimes very subtle. I found it fascinating, but I can imagine that some viewers will become impatient. (My bladder did -- don't go into this one with a large Coke.) I would like to see it again on video so I can go back and forth and compare versions of events, but I am worried that I'll end up renting a shorter version. The existence of different versions makes it a moving target -- it's difficult to review, and even more difficult for a prospective viewer to evaluate on the basis of published reviews, if you don't know which version the reviewer saw. They say the difference between a good haircut and a bad haircut is three days. Well, the difference between a good movie and a bad movie may be as little as three minutes, edited out or left in.

I'm giving this movie 9 stars because of a single line of dialog that blew me away and changed my perception of a lot of experiences in my own life. You can't ask for more than that from a movie. It's a comment made by one of the minor characters (the waitress) -- almost a throwaway line, really -- about the effect that people have on each other in relationships. I don't even know if it is included in the shorter version of the movie.

The first time we see the couple (the first scene), they are so much in love. The scene is filled with fun, excitement, and such passionate love for each other; we are easily drawn into that magical moment of theirs. The next time we see these people, it's like their lives have taken a right about turn. Something terrible has occurred in their life, we don't know what exactly. The movie as well as the characters try their best to keep away from that topic (people who have read about the movie might know what has happened, I don't want to spoil it for others). Although the path has been tread before, Ned Benson has woven an intriguing exploration of a couple after a tragedy, and it's great for a debut feature.

When something terrible happens in our life, the two things we usually tend to do are: trying our best not to remember it. If we do remember, we try to find a close person around on whom we can shift all the blame and direct all our hatred. The best thing we can do is, accept the situation, and let time take over and do its trick.

The topic has been dealt with time and again, in movies as well as novels. With a little more depth, the characters might have been more intriguing. Nonetheless, I was still interested in their lives, and the beautiful one-on-one scenes in the second half were really engaging and emotional. These characters pour their hearts out, either to let it out (and lessen the burden on their mind) or to make the other person feel better. The one which really stands out is the one in which William Hurt (as Eleanor's father) shares an old traumatizing memory with her, involving her; the monologue transports us to the actual place of the event, and we can see the agony in his eyes.

The acting by the two leads, Chastain and McAvoy, is brilliant; it's the emotional backbone of the film. Their eyes have such sorrow; though we know so less about the situation, we are intrigued by what has happened. The sometimes-fun-sometimes-supportive characters played by actors like William Hurt, Isabelle Hupert (it was amazing to see this French talent as Eleanor's mother in this film), Viola Davis, Bill Hader, Jess Weixler and Ciarán Hinds are interesting; their presence makes the story more appealing. I wish the characters were developed a little more; I don't know if the Him-Her version has more depth or not, I'm yet to see it.

The ending might baffle or annoy some, but to me, it was different and delightful. It conveyed the message it intended to, and the background music by Son Lux was just perfect for it.

Cinema is an ever evolving art form. The medium is pushed constantly, often within its own limitations and once in a while, we get a something special in its outcome. I do believe the original premise surrounding Ned Benson's long-awaited The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby would have been that type of film. Debuting at the Toronto Film Festival last year, the film was initially shown as two separate films offering up the male and female perspective of a New York couple's relationship. Being purchased by Harvey Weinstein and the awards juggernaut The Weinstein Company, the film has been rumored to go through many different forms throughout its buying process. Once said to be a three-hour plus long cut putting both films together, and then finally landing on a combined version subtitled "Them." If you are aware that there are two other versions of the film out there titled "Him" and "Her," the theatrical version "Them" can be a simply satisfying introduction into the lives of Conor Ludlow (played passionately by James McAvoy) and Eleanor Rigby (played by another staggering interpretation by Jessica Chastain). If you are NOT aware that there are two other complete and different told stories, then "Them" can be a frustrating and ultimately unsatisfying story, with massive plot holes, and many questions left unanswered.

Written and directed by Benson, "Them" crafts an emotional and passionate tale of love lost, regained, and ultimately doomed to exist. Almost taking cues from films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Benson offers up an honest and raw interpretation of love in the shadow of tragedy. Likely not his first choice in which to tell his story, he takes a meticulous paintbrush and strokes through every part of the film with intricate detail, choosing what and what not to tell the audience.

James McAvoy is evolving before our very eyes and I'm afraid most of Hollywood and the world is missing out on it. Delivering questionably two Oscar worthy performances throughout his career (The Last King of Scotland and Atonement), McAvoy hits a new career pique as Connor. Seemingly born of mother New York, he wears every ounce of Connor with such comfort. He listens to his soul's reaction to every instance that he faces. I don't think you'll find someone this year that is more evolved and earth shatteringly brilliant in the way they choose to display heartbreaking emotion.

The ever beautiful Jessica Chastain continues to show that there is a place in cinema for her, not just this decade but for all time. The tragedy that is embedded within Eleanor is so profound and interpreted so fully by Chastain, it's a travesty to not include her in any awards conversation for not just this year, but any year. She pounds through Eleanor with relentless force, gauging her emotional highs and waiting until the opportune moment to unleash the fury and motives upon the viewer. I can't think of any other woman this year that has demanded so much of herself and the audience. It's another staggering performance to an already impressive resume that includes Zero Dark Thirty, The Tree of Life, and The Help.

Where Benson proves his worth as a writer in this love story is in the creation of the supporting characters. The multi-talented Viola Davis enriches every scene she's in with stunning results. She continues to show why she needs to be able to helm her own picture. This is an actress that attacks, and doesn't just take it lightly even in a role that is minimal in screen time. She makes her mark, and makes it well as Professor Friedman, a character that looks all too familiar when watching her speak.

When it comes to Bill Hader, a "Saturday Night Live" alumni that I would have never imagined would take the route that he's been taking post-SNL departure. I need every alumni of the 40-year-old show to use Bill Hader as an example of what to do when you step away from NBC's long-running machine. As Stuart, Hader offers subtle comic beats but a wonderful and morose realization of our generation's current climate. And I say our, but I really mean "my." Continue to do what you're doing Hader, I support you all the way.

Benson also assembles veterans like William Hurt, Ciaran Hinds, and Isabelle Hupert, along with the richly talented Jess Weixler. All of which stand up to the task of offering a little more insight into the characters they interact with. It's a stunning ensemble that is one of the best seen this year yet.

Ultimately The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them hits the right chords. Enriched in emotion and raw intensity, Benson crafts a loving story that will stand as one of the best told in some time. It likely stands better as a collection piece of the entire series with "Him" and "Her" attached. As a stand alone film, it does enough to suffice. A definite watch for 2014.

The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby was originally intended as a movie to be focused on a man's perspective as his wife disappeared out of his life. When writer-director Ned Benson brought star Jessica Chastain on, she asked him about Eleanor's perspective and he was so enraptured with this question that he wrote an entire version of the movie dedicated to her view point of the marriage. The two films were shot simultaneously, but times and audiences being what they are, the distributor cut a third version of the film so that audiences could experience the whole thing in one go.

As someone who has seen all three versions of the films (his, her and them) I can tell you this is a mistake. The best way to experience the film is by watching some combination of the Him & Her versions (pick your poison, watching either one first has its benefits and drawbacks, although "Him" does start earlier in the timeline than "Her").

The problem with Them is that it reveals that Rigby is actually a very simplistic movie. It's the story of married couple Connor Ludlow (James McAvoy) and Eleanor Rigby (Jessica Chastain) whose marriage has suffered a devastating blow. Rigby tries to kill herself and when she is unsuccessful she leaves her husband and the two begin separate journeys of discovery. The joy in the Him & Her versions is seeing the different ways the two people experience the same event. Rigby and Ludlow both disappear from each other's narratives for long periods of time posing questions about certain events, questions that get answered when you watch whichever of the two movies you choose to watch first. There's also a handful of scenes that are the same in both stories but the tone and information conveyed is different, showing how people can interpret things differently. All the joy of this is wiped out of the Them version in which everything plays chronologically and we don't get multiple versions of the same scenes.

It's an okay movie, but it will leave you wondering what the fuss is all about.