Film Blog Post

There are instances in the film Flirting that bring to mind ideas of ‘lonerism’ and the outsider. The way these moments are implemented also sets the film apart from more mainstream “coming of age” stories. Allow me to explain.

A couple moments in the film that come to mind quite literally show our protagonist, Danny Embling as an outsider. The scene of Danny on the roof outside the girl’s dormitory, where he is juxtaposed to a cat implying some sort of natural instinct Danny has to do things and act as a solitary unit, shows his outsider persona in an interesting and unique fashion. Perhaps an even more obvious example would be the several shots of Danny crossing the river via row boat. He wades across the shore, the only thing moving in a still calm night. He quite literally (and metaphorically) goes against the tide. Furthermore, the shots similar to these always portray the night sky in such a beautiful manner, they almost look like hand drawn paintings (maybe they are?) This whole “artful” way of showing the backdrop, especially of the girl’s school, could be seen as a reflection of Danny’s romanticism of the whole scenario. Boating across a river alone under the moonlight, risking expulsion, for a girl? That’s pretty hot and bold. It also sets the film apart from more mainstream pieces. How often does a set piece reflect the protagonist’s inner sentiments in mainstream films? The answer is probably: not that often.

Another aspect of the film that sets it apart is the narration. Plenty of mainstream films include some sort of narration, but the narration in Flirting is unexpectedly intimate. Keeping a steady, soft, and poetically written flow of speech for the entire film, it feels as if the audience is Danny’s audio diary, to which he doesn’t share a summary of events but instead insightful and poetic comments on being the outsider and other poignant observations. Another fantastic scene that needs mentioning is the boxing match scene. While Danny is repeatedly smashed in the face, the film gradually reverts to slow motion, as he struggles to look straight. Eventually we arrive to a first person perspective where the camera sways back and forth in extreme slo-mo to the heavy breathing sounds of Danny, accompanied with some deep synth. The whole thing is evocative of a man in a space suit traversing some asteroid. The absolute silence besides the persistent sound of heavy breathing and the first person slow motion both portray this idea. As Danny is finally knocked out, the SFX played almost sounds like a rocket; blasting off to some distant planet, leaving Danny alone. And what could be more alone than being stuck in a spacesuit floating around in the depths of nothingness? It certainly looks and sounds very cool.

Even with the presence of Danny’s love interest, the film is no less a story of outsiders and loners. The whole idea is: two outsiders who are alone, together. If that makes any sense. It’s certainly not anything like Going The Distance with Justin Long and Drew Barrymore, where a long distance relationship is too much to bare so they romantically get together at the end. The end of Flirting is hopeful, yes. But it certainly gives you less in terms of a joyous resolution. Perhaps comparing an old movie like Flirting to a more contemporary romcom is slightly pointless, but the former hardly feels outdated in any way. Flirting’s characters a all outsiders, and thanks to some unique cinematography and editing, so is the film as a whole.

Anyways, GOOD MOVIE.