Movie: The We and the I
Rating:

Michel Gondry’s The We and the I grabs you by the throat gently squeezing while whispering sweet love things in your ear. The trailer instantly reminds me of Kids; not for the NYC setting or diverse cast; but the raw, eviscerating energy that pops off this gang of real-not-actor kids, while at the same time sharing some DNA with The Breakfast Club with its cliques, cracks and petty humiliations.

The story seems to go like this: School’s out for summer and a bunch of kids take a last bus ride home through the Bronx; making out, goofing off, slutting and slamming their way through one final trip together.

So what’s the point here? In talking about the inspiration for the kids in his movie Gondry poses that ‘people are less interesting in groups’ which suggests that the story’s spiritual heart is that kids act differently with their peers than when they are alone.

That’s not a huge revelation – I secretly know this because I was a kid once – but it might be a great starting point while we watch the gritty but lush-with-life streets of the South Bronx pass by apace through the bus window.

I’m hoping this little movie plays out like a coming-of-age flick sliced and diced in the blender of Michel Gondry’s mind. (The one that gave us Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, not so much The Green Hornet.)

Now can you feel that gentle squeeze on your throat and sweet whisper in your ear?

I do. And it’s delicious.

There’s no official release date for The We and the I, and considering an early synopsis for the film included “a machine that keeps people younger” we figured it’s best to keep you guessing at this point.

UPDATE: The We and the I opened the Director’s Fortnight in Cannes and reviewed by The Hollywood Reporter