I recently watched Unmade Beds, a 2009 film directed by Alexis Dos Santos, on Netflix (since they recommended it to me). Overall, I enjoyed the film, but the purpose of this post is to dive a little deeper into the specs of the film, especially after having read a few reviews of it.
A common point in some reviews was calling the film "hipster" in some fashion, which I'm not surprised by at all. I'm just not a big fan of using that term to describe films, music, or people in general. Relating to this, some critics said that it had no real plot and the whole "day in the life of a 20-something" story was not too interesting. So here's my take:
Plot: The main plot- the interconnection of two strangers' lives- is not a new one; we've definitely seen this before. Our main characters, Axl and Vera, are both in their twenties. Axl has recently arrived in London via Madrid in search of his father whom he has not seen since birth. Vera is in search of love, attempting to get over her last break up. Originally, I thought the characters would converge in the beginning of the film and grow some sort of relationship together, but that is not the case. They both live under the same roof (a type of art-house haven for nomads and jobless youth) yet only cross paths "knowingly" once. They do not have an actual conversation until the last 15-20 minutes of the film at a party at their house, but they are both highly intoxicated and cannot clearly remember the previous night the following morning. The film ends, in my opinion, predictably on Vera's end but not so much for Axl.
The film features the "typical" life of a twenty-something- party all night, sleep all day, go to work at a bookstore or small concert venue, have a few hours to go on an adventure, and repeat. It is true that many parts of the film are a bit cliche- Vera works at a bookstore, meets a very handsome and charming man at a bar, she looks "serious" most of the time or maybe slightly lost/disinterested; Axl randomly wakes up at the house after partying, finds his dad but does not initially approach him, can't remember a thing after he drinks. If we just looked at their lives as outsiders, minus the deeper interactions they have with others, I think this film would fall very flat because it's the same story line we've seen time and time again.
Outside of the story, I found the movie to be shot nicely, which even the critics agree with. So even if you get bored with the characters, at least the film is aesthetically pleasing.
Would I recommend this film? Yes and no. Yes, if you're a huge film nerd and are looking for something to critique and want to see a film different from your major motion pictures showing in most theaters. No, if you're just a casual movie watcher who isn't necessarily a huge film buff. Also, if you're not really into dramas, this isn't the film for you. Overall, it's not the most memorable film in the world, but it's not shabby, and it has a few great lines.
