Me, You, and Everyone We Know

While the number of independent movies I have seen over the years is far from impressive, it was often because I had little interest in seeing a movie that required so much ongoing analysis that I wouldn't be able to simply enjoy myself and have a good time. "Me You and everyone we know" however has given me a renewed interest in independent film for one reason: it was a extremely well shot, edited, scored, etc movie that highlighted the artistic skill of those involved in its production but at the same time was a terrific film that I was able to truly enjoy without being so full of hidden meanings and the such that I had to bend over backwards to keep up.

Don't get me wrong, this is no shallow movie, indeed it is far from it. The script seems to effortlessly timely in its use of humor and drama while avoiding the timeless pitfall of becoming bloated with unnecessary scenes or details. Instead each scene has a clear purpose and every line is used so well that that movie is so clean of wasteful material its nothing short of a breath of fresh air from the often cookie-cutter productions of the major studios.

The story centers on a struggling contemporary artist and a recently divorced shoe salesman who meet due to a chance encounter at the local mall. While some reviewers have come to the conclusion the movie seeks to portray how the difficulty of establishing meaningful relationships in an increasingly "me centered" world, I came away with a different impression. Instead of becoming overly engrossed with the effects of the emerging relationship on the two people involved, the movie also underscores that no relationship exists in a vacuum by using a series of side plots to show just how interwoven our lives are with those of "Me You and everyone we know." From beginning to end, "Me and You and Everyone we Know" remains refreshingly on track, coming together despite a number twists and turns, that... well that to be honest it caught me off guard.

So much of independent film is so artistically focused it becomes more of a chore to watch that few people can relate to or understand it. "Me You and Everyone we Know" skillfully walks the line between art and entertainment resulting in a must-see finished project that leaves you hoping its not the last of its kind.

-paul