Kodachrome is different. Its A-story, that between Matt and Ben is stereotypical, and has no surprises. Just as expected at the start, Ben dies before the photos are developed. And it is up to Matt to see them alone, and deal with them. As expected, Ben, the asshole father, is not actually that much of an asshole at the end. Even with these unsurprising plot points, the A-story works because most of the emotions flow naturally. The movie does not manipulate you with some out-of-story music just to get you to cry. It really feels like a genuine story of a son and his dead beat father. What Kodachrome does so well is represent the hatred of this son for his father. Unlike other movies with this storyline, the son is not mad at the father because of all the football games or performances he missed. The son is mad because his father hurt his mother deeply. Jason Sudeikis did a good job.
The other storylines in the movie, however, are very problematic. Their script focuses so much on the main story that others do not develop, and some plot points come as surprises. The romance between Zooey and Matt is rash and rushed. The two of them share about two decent conversations (less than three minutes each) before they sleep together, and then suddenly, Zooey cares so much about Matt that she leaves to save him? The scene with the band and Matt is likewise rushed. Matt spends half the scene telling them how their music got him through his divorce, and then what, he suddenly loses *all* respect for them because they laugh at the old man who peed himself? This the old man that Matt clearly did not care about just a few hours ago. Many similar storylines are impatiently developed, and could have been easily cut out of the movie entirely. Because they were so impatiently build, they come across as expedient plot points that were only included to move the movie (not the story.)
I love Elizabeth Olsen, but not as this character. I do not blame her. I blame the writing. Her character was very shallow and fringe, and for all the time she spent on screen, the character's impact on the storyline was not to ratio.
P.S. That bit about Zooey being a freshman in 2000 -- that was just done to make the music she was into seem more interesting right? Because that scene puts the movie to have taken place in 2012. Is there a different reason? Did the last Kodachrome shop actually close that year?
The other storylines in the movie, however, are very problematic. Their script focuses so much on the main story that others do not develop, and some plot points come as surprises. The romance between Zooey and Matt is rash and rushed. The two of them share about two decent conversations (less than three minutes each) before they sleep together, and then suddenly, Zooey cares so much about Matt that she leaves to save him? The scene with the band and Matt is likewise rushed. Matt spends half the scene telling them how their music got him through his divorce, and then what, he suddenly loses *all* respect for them because they laugh at the old man who peed himself? This the old man that Matt clearly did not care about just a few hours ago. Many similar storylines are impatiently developed, and could have been easily cut out of the movie entirely. Because they were so impatiently build, they come across as expedient plot points that were only included to move the movie (not the story.)
I love Elizabeth Olsen, but not as this character. I do not blame her. I blame the writing. Her character was very shallow and fringe, and for all the time she spent on screen, the character's impact on the storyline was not to ratio.
P.S. That bit about Zooey being a freshman in 2000 -- that was just done to make the music she was into seem more interesting right? Because that scene puts the movie to have taken place in 2012. Is there a different reason? Did the last Kodachrome shop actually close that year?