I love the slow pace, depiction of everyday life and urban and rural scenography in this film. And the subtle observations. A woman shaking her head at the protagonist watching a tree is later seen looking at the same tree, trying to understand.
I also love that the film is about an elderly woman finally following a passion after devoting her life to others. I could watch a whole film about her just doing little things in her search for poetry. In that way it reminds me of Jarmusch's later film Paterson.
But the film also tackles a devastating issue, a rape-induced suicide, making the protagonist a sort of a puppet in a cover-up by the five fathers. (Which raises a question: Where are the mothers?) At one low point the protagonist prostitutes herself to save her spoiled grandson from being punished for his crime. It's a tragic scene reminiscent of the fall of Fantine of Les Miserables.
The grandson and friends' rape is clearly the result of a boundaryless male sexuality that runs through society, shown by her boss' sexual abuse, and even in some of the men's poetry. Eventually, the grandson and friends are eventually arrested for their crime despite their rich fathers trying to cover it up, indicating trust in the justice system. But I don't see any attempt in this film to condemn and demand change. The stance seem to be: Bad things happen, but at least we can find beauty in them through poetry. I find that message a bit evasive.
I also love that the film is about an elderly woman finally following a passion after devoting her life to others. I could watch a whole film about her just doing little things in her search for poetry. In that way it reminds me of Jarmusch's later film Paterson.
But the film also tackles a devastating issue, a rape-induced suicide, making the protagonist a sort of a puppet in a cover-up by the five fathers. (Which raises a question: Where are the mothers?) At one low point the protagonist prostitutes herself to save her spoiled grandson from being punished for his crime. It's a tragic scene reminiscent of the fall of Fantine of Les Miserables.
The grandson and friends' rape is clearly the result of a boundaryless male sexuality that runs through society, shown by her boss' sexual abuse, and even in some of the men's poetry. Eventually, the grandson and friends are eventually arrested for their crime despite their rich fathers trying to cover it up, indicating trust in the justice system. But I don't see any attempt in this film to condemn and demand change. The stance seem to be: Bad things happen, but at least we can find beauty in them through poetry. I find that message a bit evasive.