"I mean, she knew that there was a difference between Tom and Gil..."
Did she? Her hopes were wrapped up in the fantasy world of Hollywood movies. To her Tom and Gil are one and the same. Indeed, in a regular movie, wouldn't it be a natural ending that Gil falls in love with C.(even if he started out to trick her)? "But this isn't a movie"--as the brutish Monk reminds us--and Hollywood stars don't just sweep poor little-miss-nobodies off their feet to Hollywood.
Even though C. may choose "incorrectly", her choice makes sense. If they are otherwise the same person to her...she chooses reality over fantasy, sanity over madness. That makes sense, doesn't it?...
Or does it? Ironicly, the unreal Tom REALLY loves her, while the real Gil is unreal in his professed love. Reality does not console her, so she ends up returning to the illusions of the theatre. To keep her sanity--in the end--she has to escape reality.
This is a very rich film on the subject of art's interaction with life. I can't begin to do it justice, I'm sure.
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preciousbunnie
19 years ago
I agree...this is one Woody Allen movie I could tolerate...
I guess two people who look so much alike could be VERY different...I understood that she couldn't tell the difference, but I was hoping the thought at least crossed her mind, you know, from the way Gil looked at her, withouth the twinkle in his eye like Tom's...
Overall, it was a good movie showing reality versus fantasy, like u said...I really enjoyed reading ur comment, thatsweetbird...
Does anyone else wanna comment?
R.I.P. PROOF ALWAYS REMEMBERED, NEVER FORGOTTEN
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thatsweetbird
19 years ago
But bunnie, I ask you, did Gil REALLY have less of a twinkle? Or was this apparent twinkle differential for the audience really only due to the difference in that we knew/suspected in the back of our minds that an ulterior motive might mean Gil was less sincere (Cecilia blinded by a willingness to believe in the fairytale of Gil loving her which has been fostered by these very films); we knew that while Gil was/could be just playing a part, Tom WAS that part.
But, Again, how could Cecilia tell the difference? They ARE the same guy (to her). Remember, Gil "created" Tom, so he could duplicate all his romanticism, only plus he had in addition Gil's further repetoire of characters(including that of "actor Gil" as well). The latter comes in handy as Cecilia recalls all his different roles and he uses her affection for them to win her over.
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preciousbunnie
19 years ago
Well, I did know that Gil was only playing the role of being in love with Cecilia like Tom had been, so I could differentiate the "twinkle" in his eyes as opposed to her...he didn't necessarily have "less of a twinkle" in his eyes, though...and yes, it would've been extremely hard for her to tell the difference...
I guess a little part of me wanted her to know the TRUTH about Gil's intentions, although there was really no way she could've known...
Once again, I appreciate ur comment...u could add on if u want...
R.I.P. PROOF ALWAYS REMEMBERED, NEVER FORGOTTEN
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thatsweetbird
19 years ago
Yeah, we feel for Cecilia, and that helps make the betrayal so crushing. It tears that she ironically thinks she is choosing what is real over what is fake. But Gil isn't very real in any sense, a vain, fame-seeking person who understands less of the important interacting relationship between fiction and reality than Cecilia does.
It is one of the hardest endings in any film that doesn't end with a main character dying or the likewise.
Woody says she chooses reality because if she chooses fiction that is the way of madness. But he also says that by picking reality she of course gets misery. Her only recourse is to again "choose" fiction by going back in the theatre. We all need our illusions to make it through this world.
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preciousbunnie
19 years ago
I always like ur comments, thatsweetbird...there are very profound and this demonstrates how much u appreciate this movie, and therefore Woody Allen's work...
The ending was indeed crushing...u know what I thought was going to happen? Well, although I knew Gil didn't love Cecilia, I felt that in due time, he would come to love her...maybe cuz I'm such a romantic :) but also because I didn't want her to end up alone, back to square one...
Were you expecting anything different in the ending, or did it come out just the way u expected it?
R.I.P. PROOF ALWAYS REMEMBERED, NEVER FORGOTTEN
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thatsweetbird
19 years ago
TY, preciousbunnie. I'm just inspired to be passionate by Mr. Allen's work, which I find so profound, interesting and provocative.
Right, I think we have to suspect that Gil is at least initially interested in Cecilia as a tool to get rid of the problem of Tom for himself. But like you say, what would we expect to happen next if this was a standard movie?: that he would find himself falling for her regardless! I figure Woody was alluding to this quite-often seen situation in movies: a man/woman feigns(for money or other reason)to be interested in someone. And then they find themselves really in love with them. The "make-believe" of love becomes real.
No, I was crushed the first time I saw it. I'm no more savvy than poor Cecilia. We can see--and pity her-- that she is fooled partly because of her reliance on illusions. But then, aren't we all.
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