Me and You and Everyone We Know

Me and You and Everyone We Know (Miranda July, 2005) [9]
July’s directorial debut contains just the right amount of romantic sentimentality and subversiveness that make it highly enjoyable. I could see how some would compare this to the films of Todd Solondz. They both deal with the themes of suburban alienation, sexual dysfunction, and their relationship to children, but July injects some humanity and compassion, which Solondz has none of. Another thing that July excels doing in this film is putting the children on the same level as the adults in this film. They are not immune to the sexual and romantic questions being fought by the adults in the film. It allows an honest and funny portrayal of sexuality in young people that is rarely seen in films today. I’m not a person that cares too much for over earnest sentimentality, which would explain why I didn’t like In America or Hotel Rwanda, but it works in this film. There is just enough subversion and sly irony in the way the characters and the suburban setting are portrayed that work. It still allows the humanist qualities of the film to emerge. I also like July’s composition and camerawork. It contains enough traces of “new director” that makes the sentiment of the film more palatable than say, a similar film by Nora Ephron or Chris Columbus. All the film’s quirks definitely make it charming