In July

Faith Akin's In July interestingly blends reality with the surreal. The scene where Juli introduces marijuana to Daniel was my favorite scene, as it was the first moment where Juli is able to break Daniel from his comfort zone. After they inhale a few puffs, both character transcend their human limitations and literally start floating above the ground. Later in the film, Daniel becomes separated from Juli and gets himself trapped inside a night club. The way this scene was shot was so surreal, with an extraordinary use of colors and lighting to create a sense of loss and confusion. This scene stuck out from the rest of the movie so much, that I felt we were now transitioning into an entirely different film.

The film has many bizarre moments, and various instances that test Daniel's transformation into a man. The scene where Daniel tries to drive over a river was so irrational and conflicting with his character that it was hard to buy it.

I wasn't a huge fan of the film, and I think it was cause I didn't understand what it was trying to say about anything. I thought Daniel was too unlikeable of a character for me to enjoy the story. I thought he was an idiot for not noticing July during the whole trip, which of course leads to the film's predictable conclusion of him finally accepting her love. I found it ridiculous that he wins her in the end when this whole time he was searching for someone else. He really didn't deserve her, I think.

While I did praise the film's stylistic choices in mixing reality with the dream-like world, it was not enough to impress me.