13 conversations about one thing

Plot: This one is going to be difficult . . . here we go. The complex weave of a boss obsessed with "knocking the smile off" a rather happy employee, an executive in a spiral of depression after driving drunk, a maid in love with one of her clients gets hit by a car, a man leaves his wife to discover that his lover doesn't want to leave her husband, the boss' son involved with drugs, and it goes on.

To be honest, it isn't that difficult to keep up with the plot while you are watching the movie. I apparently should have taken notes in order to recall it later.

The film is divided up into chunks that are introduced by a sentence that one of the characters will say in the next scene, e.g. "18 inches of personal space". I liked that. It gave the intertwined plot more meaning, making the stories almost more theatrical. I don't mean that in an overdone way.

The film is impressive, the script, by Jill and Karen Sprecher, is well written, and the ensemble cast plays beautifully. The problem is that the film tries to be Magnolia. Magnolia is a brilliant film, but Magnolia it cannot be. And I think that's okay. I just don't think that they think that's okay.

Following my interpersonal communication class, I now believe this film is about self-disclosure, but you can decide for yourself. I will end with some wisdom from the film and for the film: "Life, it only makes sense backwards. Too bad we have to live it forwards."