This evening I went out to see the movie "Flora and Son," just before it left town. I loved it. Partly it was the music, of course. Partly it was the quasi-romance that builds up between Flora (played by Eve Hewson) and Jeff (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt). But that part is somewhat predictable. Less so is the fierce relationship between Flora and her son Max (played by Orén Kinlan)—"fierce" because in some ways they are very hostile to each other (in one screaming fight she calls him a "prick" and he calls her a "cunt"), but there are other moments when her commitment to him becomes a force that sweeps all before its path. And in between all the fighting they find a way, using music, to communicate with each other.
In many ways these characters are unlikeable: I found at least four user reviews on imdb.com which use that exact word (here, here, here, and here). But that's part of what I liked about the movie.... [The remainder is lost to history.]
Update from February 2025: I no longer have any idea what I was going to say about this movie, other than what I've already said. But Flora is another example of the high-maintenance women that I used to be attracted to (like Wife and D). And the fact that I started writing this piece just a little more than a year ago tells me I'm still not immune to them. Good thing I'm not in the market for another romance at this point, ain't it?
Here's the trailer.
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