directed by:
Jack McLoughlin written by: Jack McLoughlin genre: Drama |
"We were just kids mate, we didn't know what we were doing." Great stuff from writer/director Jack McLoughlin is to be found in this film from start to finish. Don't get me wrong, I'm not at all about to try and sell you on "Kate & Jake" being the happiest film you're gonna see this year – there are parts of this movie that will devastate you and likely have you reaching for a second box of Kleenex by the time it's over – but in my opinion, it's one of the most accurate depictions of what love is really like to experience. I've always been of the mind that when you meet someone special and you spend a significant amount of time with them, we get that that means something. It's a bond that you can disparage or diminish – it is a moment that happened, even if it doesn't last forever. To try and say that a long-term relationship didn't mean anything after it's over would say a whole lot more about who's claiming that - than it ever would on behalf of the time spent.
The real question is, why does love ever stop once it's started? Sure, if there's something gnarly or nasty about a person that you didn't know going into a relationship, or some kind of abuse, then get the heck on outta there as quick as you can - and know that no one is going to judge you for that – that's a whole different situation. But what about those relationships where the spark just fizzles out? What if one of you changes and the other doesn't? What if one of you experiences something that makes a massive impact and doesn't affect the other person in the same way? None of these things mean that the love should end, yet we seem to try to pretend that's the case every time a relationship wraps up, don't we? Which is really weird, considering deep down you probably feel the same way as your former partner. For a while there, no matter how long, you really mattered to someone else, and they mattered to you…and no matter what occurred from there on, it was important; it happened. From that perspective, it would be damn near cruel not to remain a part of each other's life in whatever way you can in the aftermath, wouldn't it? You shared so much, went through so many things, and just because you're not romantically compatible or want to spend your lives together under one roof, how does that end up equating to total silence? To me, that's crazy, yet it happens every day. Shouldn't we still be trying to celebrate the wins and great things of the people we used to love? Don't we still love them on some level? Do we need to be romantically involved for love to continue? Many of you out there have experienced getting that random call out of the blue from a former partner or friend - with whom you spent a significant amount of time, and you've felt the sting of having to take stock of how the good times turned to bad. When you're faced with a monumental life change ahead, don't you nearly owe it to that other person to at least fill them in? Not to brag, not to hurt, not to rub it in, but just to be a decent person? "Kate & Jake" brilliantly examines so much of this and lots more. The writing is considered, thoughtful, honest, and as accurate as it is brilliant. McLoughlin created a cast of characters with true depth, real emotions, and a powerful display of vulnerability. Essentially, you'll be hard-pressed to find a film that's as real about who we are and how we love each other as "Kate & Jake" is. From the good times to the bad, we see how these two people are connected and how they truly do try their best to love each other in their own unique way and to the best of their ability. Sometimes we fall short of the mark; despite how good our intentions might be, there's no sugarcoating that.
The acting in this movie is spot-on. Sarah-Louise Chadwick, who plays Kate, is a straight-up revelation – I simply do not possess the kind of vocabulary required to express just how immaculately perfect she's played her character. As for Michael Latham, who plays Jake – we're really talking about a rival performance that's just about equal to what Chadwick brings to the screen – they're both amazing, and they deserve a ton of credit for making this film become as potently emotional as it does. They absorbed the content and made it real for us. We feel what they do, we see life through their eyes, and we instantly connect with what's relatable - because so many of us have been through a lot of what they're going through. It's sad, it's beautiful, it's real – and it's practically all of these things at once. I loved the way that it's shot in the past and the present to tell this story. I loved the way that you'd see scenes that would have like, one of the characters in a mirror while the other is right in front of you, and that for a heavy Drama like this, "Kate & Jake" still tried different things without taking away from the heart of the story. The supporting cast is stellar, though a minimal part of the movie overall, but you'll notice that just like the quote that I added in here to kick things off, so much of what they will say plays a relevant role in understanding exactly what the two main characters of Kate & Jake are really going through. For those outside of the UK, stick with it! I know, I know, I know – the accents in this film are tough to fully get our minds around, and it takes at least ten minutes before you start to attune your ear to them – but you will, I promise, and the emotions they display are completely universal. To be 100% fair to "Kate & Jake," – this film even knows how tough the accents would be on outsiders looking in, and addresses that directly early on in the script as our characters are getting to know each other. The added awareness is actually quite endearing and comforting as well. Bonus points to Kate for having such amazing taste in music, and Jake for making great music too…but I'll leave that conversation for another time. "Kate & Jake" is a reminder that we tend to get things wrong as much as we get 'em right in the trials & tribulations of life and love - and that really loving someone with everything you've got can be just as excruciating as profoundly amazing. For myself, "Kate & Jake" is an easy 4.5 stars out of 5; it's practically perfect in revealing our many imperfections in the quest for true love - and shows us the real ripple effect of how "who" we choose to share our time with continues to define us in the future, forever. |