Hit or miss, any new Michel Gondry film is regardless a must-see.
He gets an all-time pass for bringing us Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and even when he misses the mark a bit, he still brings you something incredible, like Sweding or Kato-Vision.
Gondry’s latest, The We and the I, premiering tonight at 7pm at the Stateside theatre as part of the Stateside Independent series, is said to be a departure for the director, eschewing his usual mad genius visuals for a more restrained look at a group of real-life high school kids from the Bronx.
Focusing on the students’ last day of school, the film takes place in real-time and is the result of three years of workshopping between Gondry and the teens. It’s not quite a documentary, but not quite not a documentary, either.
So what is it? It doesn’t matter. Much like his past works, whether the film works or not is really beside the point. After reading that synopsis, you know you’re going to see it anyway. Sure, you could check out the reviews first, but it’s no use: Some critics love it; some hate it. Typical Gondry. So just see it.
Stateside Independent screens The We and I tonight at 7pm. Visit the Stateside website for tickets and more information.
This article appears in April 12 • 2013.