Formula: Leap Year ^ Joe vs. theVolcano
I saw this movie because I'm a fan of Emily Blunt and Jon Hamm. I have a fondness for Irish things. Most of all, I live alone, had a week off, and needed to get out of the apartment, so I found an afternoon showing at the local theater a couple blocks from me. This is a romance movie, labelled as a drama but more slyly a comedy than it lets on. The film is based on a play. The absolute most important thing about the movie though is that it's written and directed by John Patrick Shanley, who also wrote and directed Joe vs. the Volcano.
It's a pretty straightforward story. Anthony Reilly (Jamie Dornan) lives with his father (Christopher Walken) on his family's farm out in Ireland. Rosemary Muldoon (Emily Blunt) lives next door to them on her farm with her mother (Dearbhla Molloy). Rosemary has always liked Anthony. Anthony is weirdly reserved and, even though he and everyone else assume that he and Rosemary will end up together, can't seem to get over a mental block and a secret he's been keeping. Anthony's father briefly flirts with the idea of selling the farm to his American nephew (Jon Hamm) who also becomes smitten with Rosemary and the idea of being a farmer. As assorted family members die off, Rosemary and Anthony reach a breaking point where they either need to commit to each other or move on.
And, even this description of the movie makes it sound more thrilling than it actually is. This is a very odd movie. That's where the fact that this is from the same guy who made Joe vs. the Volcano comes into play. That movie is absolutely bizarre. The humor is offbeat. It's deeply charming even though it's sodden in many places. Tom Hanks is playing a sad-sack throughout. Meg Ryan randomly plays three different characters who feel more literary than real. That movie is one of my favorite movies now, but I came away from it the first time baffled by all the choices. However, I was certain that I liked it. I came out of Wild Mountain Thyme with the exact same feeling. This movie is thoroughly unwell. It seems determined to give Blunt and Dorman no chemistry. The pacing is odd. The dialogue was very clearly written by a playwright. And, the secret that Dorman mentions is completely unexpected and insane (although harmless and meaningless).
I left the movie in a great mood though and certain that there was more in the movie I wanted to pick at. Sure, a good deal of that is because I'm an American who listens to a lot of Celtic music and has romantic notions of Ireland. It's also only the second movie I've seen in a theater in 9 months, which surely carries some goodwill. I think this movie is much more of a comedy than it's being given credit for. Jamie Dornan is giving a comedic performance. Everyone involved seems to be aware of how contrived everything in the story is. If nothing else, the absurd climactic turn really clued me into the fact that this movie wasn't trying to be The Notebook. Shanley could've made the dialogue more natural, but the point seems to be that these characters are trapped in a sort of Irish folktale.
Based on the Rotten Tomatoes score for this, I'm very much in the minority on Wild Mountain Thyme. I get it though. I'm not even sure I loved the movie. I just know that I'm going to want to watch it again. I can easily see this movie growing on me over time. I suspect it might be the same for other people too. Or I'm just insane. What I'll say is this though. If you decide to watch Wild Mountain Thyme, be suspicious of it. Don't assume that it's as straightforward as the movie in the poster. And for god's sake, remember Joe vs. the Volcano. You still might hate the movie. I've seen many "what's wrong with straight people" takes which I really can't argue with. For whatever crazy reason though, I was charmed by this.
Verdict: Weakly Recommend
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