XX/XY
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DVD details
Actor: Ben Tolpin, Kathleen Robertson, Kel O'Neill, Mark Ruffalo, Maya StangeBrand: RUFFALO,MARK
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 91 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-07-29
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
DVD Reviews of XX/XY
DVD Review: XX/XY - Better Than Advertised
Summary: 3 Stars
XX/XY is really two movies in one. Though the characters are the same, they are at very different points in their lives. Perhaps this dual portrayal is part of the reason why this movie has gotten bashed when I think it should have been praised. The character acting and expert portrayals by a wonderful ensemble cast really cover over a story that has perhaps a few weaknesses in the plot and writing.
This is one of those character study movies where the most important lines are left unspoken. That is probably the second biggest reason for the wide disappointment with this movie. Still, this is one movie where peeling beneath the surface yields a lot of great finds.
The Story and the Script
Mark Ruffalo's character is your run of the mill non-committal guy. Here they make his non-committal nature out to be a sin greater than infidelity or domestic violence. While the writer's value judgments are a stretch, Ruffalo's performance as Coles really carries this movie. Is it fun to watch his wishy washy portrayal for everybody? Probably not. But those who love acting and love getting inside the mind of actors will really enjoy seeing the incredible portrayal he has here that has completely flown under the radar.
The first half of the movie is your typical young jerk and needy girls type of relationship fare. There are several scenes and sequences that are clearly left out of place, most likely by supporting sequences that have since been edited out or were never filmed. Still, there is a lot of foundation here. We see his relationship with the girl he chooses, Sam played by Maya Stange, and Thea, the one he keeps as a friend. Thea's character is also somewhat underdeveloped here.
When things end, they end badly. Granted that ending scene is done in a way to seem pointless or at least confusing. Yet they get their point across with it.
The second half of the movie is really what shines. We see his emotional neediness emerge as the women from his past return to his life. He tries to maintain *friendships* with them but the obvious friction creates the drama of the movie. The girlfriend he has been dating but not yet married is artfully portrayed by Petra Wright. While her total lines are few, she makes up for it by subtly building up her mood and a great fiery monologue.
Mark Ruffalo is very impressive. All the characters seem to have been written in a way that required understated portrayals. Perhaps that is why some will feel this moves *slowly*.
The four way (or in this case 5 way) relationship dynamics are bound to be compared to Closer, but they are really completely different movies. There is none of the extreme drama and exaggerated time elapsed emotion of Closer. Here we get to see these characters at two points in time, partly different and partly still the same.
Once again, there are several scenes that seem to have been included for self indulgence (Such as the one with the passerby who recognizes him and berates him for his work). And there were a few story elements that are also silly (I don't want to give a spoiler, but at the end of the movie look who's closing the door as Ruffalo goes back in the apartment.
Yet the resolution of the movie, while contrived, is made powerful by the strength of the actors really showing you the baseness of their characters.
Conclusion
While I can't rate this film much higher than 3 or 4, I highly recommend it to actors and lovers of independent film. If you can look past the slow moving parts, like me you will find yourself returning to this one to study the intricacies of the portrayal. Perhaps not the greatest choice for the general movie watcher, but students of acting can learn a lot from this one. Definitely check it out.
Enjoy!
Description of XX/XY
They gave in to their deepest desires, but can they overcome their biggest fears? Mark Ruffalo (Windtalkers), Kathleen Robertson ("Girls Club") and Maya Stange (Garage Days) deliver stunning performances in this steamy, highly charged film that explores the passions of youth and theirinevitable price. When New York animator Coles (Ruffalo) meets Sam (Stange), the attraction is immediate. And when Sam invites her hot friend Thea (Robertson) to bed with them, it's a dreamcome true until ugly secrets destroy the carefree threesome. Ten years later, their very different lives converge again and Coles realizes how much he still loves Sam. But can he risk everything to tell her the naked truth?A sharply acted film that manages to be both sexy and thoughtful, XX/XY asks uncomfortable questions about the tricky business of passion. The opening half-hour details an immature college relationship between Mark Ruffalo and Maya Stange; cut to 10 years later, when the two meet again as "grown-ups" and have no idea what to do with their old feelings. Director Austin Chick bravely allows his characters to be messed-up and uncertain, and the actors respond with complex performances: Ruffalo confirms the promise of his You Can Count on Me breakthrough, Stange is a heartbreaking Australian discovery, and Petra Wright shines as Ruffalo's new girlfriend, who has more to her than we first suspect. This film was somewhat lost in the shuffle of 2002's indie releases, but it deserves a look for its clear-eyed embrace of all the gray areas that often get left out of movies. --Robert Horton
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