Maya in Me and You and Everyone We Know

Me and You and Everyone We KnowMe and You and Everyone We Know is a popular romantic comedy directed by Miranda July. Released in [2005] it features Miranda July, John Hawkes, Brandon Ratcliff and Natasha Slayton in major roles. The movie is structured into several subplots, all revolving intertwined characters, which all come together in the end. The film was generally liked by the audience, the popular movie database IMDB users rated the movie 7.4, while Rotten Tomatoes movie review site rated the move as "fresh" with 84% score. It also won, special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, the won the Caméra d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival and numerous other prizes at the Philadelphia and San Francisco International Film Festivals. In addition, parts of the script, were included in a popular 2006 anthology by Dave Eggers: "The Best American Non-required Reading."Me and You and Everyone We Know'Me and You and Everyone We Know' is a poetic and penetrating observation of how people struggle to connect with one another in an isolating and contemporary world. Christine Jesperson is a lonely artist and "Eldercab" driver who uses her fantastical artistic visions to draw her aspirations and objects of desire closer to her. Richard Swersey (John Hawkes), a newly single shoe salesman and father of two boys, is prepared for amazing things to happen. But when he meets the captivating Christine, he panics.

Comment:  Christine is a semi-obsessive video artist. One of her projects involves a borrowed photograph of Maya ruins. I don't know which ruins, but a line implies they're in Guatemala.

She enlarges this photo and films herself and another character in front of it, as if they're really at the ruins. She ruminates about how life is kind of like the ruins. You build something great but it inevitably falls apart, leaving you alone.

This video is the one the art gallery features when Christine gets her big break. Even though it plays for only a few seconds, we can surmise that it represents one of the movie's themes. Namely, the yin and yang of life. The inability to connect, find love, fulfill one's dreams vs. the desire to connect, find love, fulfill one's dreams.

Anyway, Me and You and Everyone We Know is definitely a quirky romantic comedy. It's probably more true to life than most Hollywood romances. It doesn't have the usual moments that make audiences cry, but it also doesn't have the usual clichés.

These factors even out and make the movie about as good as the usual romance. Rob's rating: 8.0 of 10.

For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.

Below:  Ruins similar to the ones in the photograph.