Film
Drama
2021

Bliss

Owen Wilson, Salma Hayek
★★

This is unexpectedly deep. It begins as a drug trip but pretty quickly ventures into existential truths.

So much of what Salma’s character says about being able to mold and manipulate reality is true. We really do create our own reality. The script tries to get us confused about which reality is the real one, but we never really have any doubts.

The scene where Owen Wilson’s character is moved by how perfect everything is, the difficult and ugly as well as the easy and beautiful, is poignant. That’s a perspective that not a lot of people are able to stand in, but it's the position of true freedom.

The writer/director aimed for the bleachers with this, and while there are moments of profundity, I get the sensation that if they’d workshopped it a bit more, it could have hit harder.

I watched this movie because I like both of these actors, but they have zero chemistry with each other. It’s marketed as a rom-com but it isn’t at all a love story. We don’t believe for a second that they’re intimate. That said, it's nice to see Owen Wilson in a more dramatic role.

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