I just watched three movies with one thing in common: two men in love with the same woman.
The best of the three: ”Gloomy Sunday” (German) 1999. Set in Budapest just before and after the Nazis stormed Hungary, most of the movie takes place in a restaurant. The main characters are the owner of the eatery, it’s hostess, and a piano player. The title refers to a song the pianist composes that becomes a world wide sensation and eventually alters lives. It’s old fashioned, romantic, and heart-breaking.
Then there’s “Dresden” : a 2006 German TV miniseries. The story leads up the bombing of Dresden and involves a German nurse, her fiance, and a British pilot. It is what it is: a made-for-TV historical romantic melodrama. I cared about the characters and learned some more about an horrific event.
Finally, “The Education of Charlie Banks” starring Jesse Eisenberg (The Squid and the Wale, Adventureland, and Zombieland). The love triangle: A nerd, a bad boy , and preppy-rich coed. It’s the 80s and most of the movie takes place on a college campus. The movie will be best known for a not bad directorial debut from Fred Durst, a star-turn performance from Jason Ritter (yes, that Ritters son), and the female lead is played by Eva Amurri (Susan Sarandon’s daughter). Best scene in the movie: The Alan Parson Project’s “I Wouldn’t Want to be Like You” over the opening credits.
