Movie reviews | Jack Goes Boating

This is a film drawn by a wonderful actor named Philip Seymour Hoffman, a famous actor named Amy Ryan, and a supporting actor like John Ortiz. It is a rare masterpiece that warmly and sharply picks up the theme of love and innocence through the cold winter background of New York, the beginning of love between two ordinary people, the love and affair of two other people, and the friendship between two men.

Driving a limousine in New York, Jack and Clyde are listening to music as they drive by the riverside on the East River side of New York. The song that plays is a Reggae-style remake of Boney M's "Rivers of Balylon" - Clyde, who was listening to this song, asks Jack:

Clyde: Jack, would you call yourself a Rastaman?

Jack: No.

Clyde: You thinking of becoming one?

Jack: No.

Clyde: I just wanted to ask.

Jack: You like the song? Reggae's mainly positive.

Clyde : Some of the words, you know, I don't get, so it's hard to commit.

" Rastaman" means the last warrior fighting for freedom . It means a person who rejects and opposes sexism, racism, classism, colonialism, etc.

But it doesn't seem like Jack at all. He is a person who adapts to the system, but works hard to find his place in it, but is invisible.

The two men are living an extremely normal life. They are good friends, and we go swimming together. Actually, what Jack is trying to learn hard these days is swimming. Clyde teaches Jack to be patient with this kind of friend. Compared to Jack, who is a bit timid and wary of everything, Clyde (John Ortiz) is a generous and tolerant person. But even such a good man has concerns - he and his wife have various problems (such as his wife's affair and personality, and his lack of social skills that cannot satisfy his wife), but he does not reveal it and works hard to protect his family. Jack (Hoffman), a timid man with a rather unique personality, is still unmarried and is an ordinary person preparing for the city civil service bus driver exam.

On the recommendation of Clyde's wife, Jack meets Connie (Amy Ryan), a woman who works white-collar at an undertaker on a winter's day. They even go on a boat ride in Central Park in the summer together, slowly and carefully building a sincere relationship. going. It is a film depicting an extremely ordinary story that happens in the ordinary life. The process of these two preparing for that summer boating day for half a year is a beautiful movie.

On the way out after dinner at Clyde's house,

“I like talking to you,” Jack tells Connie.

"Isn't an excessive goodnight kiss okay?" ' Jack asks for permission.

“I'll invite you later after I clean the house,” says Connie.

This is how the first date of these two ends.

Another evening when Jack is invited to Clyde's house, it's also lovely to see him carefully preparing food for Connie and his friends. Jack's preparations in such a way to provide the best taste cannot come out unless it is true love.

Spring is finally over and summer is here in New York, and Jack and Connie are finally going for a boat ride to Central Park. It's sad to see Clyde looking at these two. One couple is taking the first steps towards living a life of loving each other so beautifully, but the other - perhaps because it was half the effort? - It is gradually falling apart. However, no one knows whether this is simply determined by the level of effort. If it's not love, it's better to leave without regrets, or whether they should try to keep it until the end - or whether the relationship they thought was love was really love - I think they may not know. I feel like this when I watch this movie.

In a world where ordinary things are precious now, in a reality where there are only people around in hopes of what they want, only looking forward and running, it is beautiful to see these two people living at a slow pace and making their wishes come true little by little. .

• End