“I contain multitudes.”
That quote from Walt Whitman is the foundation for this tale.
I want to be careful here, because I don’t really want to spoil anything about the film other than to say that the beginning will have you asking yourself…
“What the hell am I watching here?”
And then, little by little, things will begin to come into focus. The pieces will fall into place, and the journey that you’re taking will become very poignant – with some calling it “life affirming”. I can understand the sentiment now having seen it.
If nothing else, it’s message will sit with you after it’s over. And for some – depending on where you are in your specific timeline – this will be a more raw experience than for others.
So the “I am multitudes” thing…
That’s addressing how we are each comprised of every person we’ve met, every place we’ve been, every possession that meant the most to us, every love we’ve felt, every heartbreak we’ve endured, every success, every failure, every memorable laugh, every devastating tear…everything. We are multitudes because everything is a part of us, and for others, we are a part of the everything that’s part of them.
Our journey through life demands it.
The things we know, the emotions they evoke, and our actions as a result, are because of this.
I have to think director Mike Flanagan purposely cast Mark Hamill, Mia Sara, Matthew Lillard, and Heather Langenkamp, (all of whom we don’t often see in films anymore), to remind our demographic specifically – which the film seems to be speaking to, and which Flanagan is part of – of the GenX pop culture journey part of our “multitudes”, as they all now look…well… old…but that’s not how we keep them with us in our minds.
In the blurbs on the poster, one reads “A Pure Shot of Feel Good!”.
I suppose I can understand it landing that way based on ones personal perspective, but for others, I can imagine, and have read, that it left them in tears.
This is not a film for everyone. But if you are one of the ones that it is for, I think you’ll find great value in it.
For me, it’s a very well done, and interestingly executed, contemplative piece, that I highly recommend, but will fully understand if you don’t end up agreeing after having seen it.