There is something wonderful about the concept of these films. For that is what The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby was conceived as – and released to festivals worldwide including Sydney and Melbourne – two separate films: Him and Her. Now we have a third: Them.
The conceit was two movies, set over the same time period, each dealing with one side of a break up. For reasons redacted to prevent narrative spoilage, James McAvoy’s Conor and Jessica Chastain’s Eleanor begin their stories as their marriage explodes. In the original pair of films, some scenes overlap but are filmed from each protagonist’s perspective. The majority of each deals with one person’s journey through massive life change, grief and emotional turmoil.
In theory, at least one of them should be perfect for anyone who has ever experienced heartbreak.
The problem with each of those films lies in the fact that they both run out of story approximately two thirds of the way through. Him in particular cheats its ending entirely.
On the other hand, the problem with Them lies in its first two thirds. Mashed together they are shorn of their unique subjective charm. The first half hour in particular is jarringly erratic as two intentionally disparate (and clever) starts are stitched together according to the Igor school of surgical subtlety.
Ultimately there is something of a film school case study level of interest in the original pair, available on VOD, however the highlights package hitting cinemas feels too much like a reunited couple that never should have got back together. It just doesn’t work.
‘The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them’ Movie Times
‘The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her’ information
‘The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him’ information
