Stellead
Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful
filippaberry84
I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
Sabah Hensley
This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama
Frank DuFontaine
Movie was fairly enjoyable. A former couple from their youths' meet after many years and reminisce over the past, while enjoying an evening together. Their encounter takes place in the same house as many of their previous encounters, providing a perfect backdrop to traverse their past. As this develops, they shift from an initially superficial, floating dialogue to an increasingly emotional and intense interaction, with many varied emotional peaks and valleys along the way. It's mostly interesting and engaging, although some of it lingered in silly/sappy territory too long for my taste. It's not really a serious movie as a whole, more like a piece they would do to practice their acting range and have some fun; still fairly fun to watch though.
ArdourFilm
The story of Jim and Amanda, two former high-school sweethearts who reunite by chance some years later, is told and performed with such passion and honesty by the very grounded and talented Mark Duplass and Sarah Paulson. The vulnerability these actors no doubt felt due to working from no more than a summarised outline and having to improvise the rest - often times drawing inspiration from their personal lives - comes through and serves the film well in perfecting the authentic nature of their characters and interactions. Something I didn't expect with Blue Jay was how much it would make me laugh and smile. The humour and heartfelt moments came about so naturally and effortlessly, not to mention consistently. This allowed for easy involvement and echoing of feelings, sending me from smiling to laughing to crying all within minutes. The creative choice of black and white lends itself well by keeping the focus on the story and characters, at the same time adding a notable atmosphere of nostalgia that highlights and complements Jim and Amanda's reflections on past joys and, more truthfully, present disillusionment. The direction and cinematography of Alex Lehmann, and the dedication and love for this small independent project from the rest of the cast and crew - especially Duplass, who has managed to achieve what most creators wish they could, and with less than half the time and budget - pours onto the screen, through the screen, and into your heart. Blue Jay is filmmaking and storytelling at its finest; a real piece of poetry.
konnernolan
Characters are unlikable, there is no story of note, acting is mediocre. This is just altogether a bad movie. The atmosphere was impressive but that alone did not carry the movie. Nothing interesting happens. It's a potentially interesting premise but the execution is terrible, short sighted, and boring. The main characters are just bad people and the male is just annoying to look at and listen to. Please find anything else to watch except this.
veo
I think it would only be fair for this film to come with a warning: "Attention! It's just 2 actors talking in an apartment through all this low-budget black and white film. It's actually a theater play". Maybe the paying spectator doesn't want a play, they want a movie. It won't matter the film is very good, actors are great: the spectator will feel they were cheated.
