Singles (1992)

Summary: Steve (Campbell Scott) tries to get together with Linda (Kyra Sedgwick); Janet (Bridget Fonda) tries to get together with Cliff (Matt Dillon).

I know that sounds very vague and boring, but if you listen to the track that covers most of the film, "Dyslexic Heart" by Paul Westerberg, then you will be begin to get a feel for this mockumentary. I say mockumentary because several of the characters spend their time explaining things into the camera and the film is divided into segments by titles, which we already know I like.

Yay for Cameron Crowe! If he wasn't so critically acclaimed as it is, I might declare an ode to Crowe week. Now, that said, I do think Crowe is a brilliant writer/director, but this is not his best work. I mean, I love it, I think it's quirky, sweet, and real, but it's no Almost Famous or even a say anything . . . . I would even venture to declare this work transitional.

Quite frankly, though, I don't know how Crowe does it. He makes all these crazy implausible characters so very real, so, while you are watching them, you start thinking, "Hey! I know someone like that!". And when you realize that you probably don't, you wish you did. How does he do it? He's a master of his art.

Of the four I mentioned, Fonda and Scott are my favourites, but Sedgewick and Dillon are great as well. Of course, who I really loved in this movie was Eric Stolz, but that was really more for personal reasons than his character/performance. I read once that Crowe, after say anything . . . , made a deal with Stolz to put him in all of his future movies, so I sometimes spend my time looking for Stolz. Serious, though, Steve is a hoot (yup, I went there), and he wouldn't be without Scott in the role. It's the exact same thing for Janet. I must admit, it's really more of an ensemble cast, and I am a sucker for a good ensemble. This movie is a sucker punch to people like me: you never see it coming, and it gets you every time.

So, yeah. It's a great movie, and you should see it. Transitional movies are important because, if for no other reason, they are the glue holding together the beginning and end.