Director: Nicolas Nunez
Writer: Nicolas Nunez
Running time: 1hr 5mins
Regular readers of Indy Film Library may remember Nicolas Nunez from Skyler Muller’s short re-telling of the Greek myth of Icarus. Muller’s film won praise for its attempts to use the well-known story to reflect on modern prejudice – along with Nunez’ performance as the god Apollo – but was criticised for being too literal with its re-telling of the story, which left it frustratingly going through the motions of a tale many of us know too well.
Beauty of Life sees Nunez call on Muller to shoot an original script of his writing. But while this narrative is grounded in modern reality, and its semi-autobiographic tone (following a US student named Nic as he struggles to adapt to life in the Netherlands) mean it isn’t technically a story we know, a plodding run-time, and a repetitive structure of matching square pegs with square holes means we still feel like we’re going through the motions. Just in more excrutiating fashion.
Upon arriving in Utrecht to study a miscelaneous course, Nic (played by Nunez) finally finds a room to rent during his studies – but his room has no bed, weird noises come from the walls, and his housemate leaves the same viscous, orange left-overs caked onto the plates in the sink every day. After giving himself a pep-talk, Nic confronts his roomie, who agrees to be less of a slob without protestation; he calls a handyman to fix the ticking pipes; and he phones his mum, who is only too happy to furnish his previously dilapidated quarters.
This cycle plays out again and again, in similar ways. Nic struggles to make friends, until he gives himself a rousing (well, actually kind of disturbing) speech as to how he is just going to go up to people and introduce himself, and they will say HI PLEASED TO MEET YOU. Then he immediately makes friends with a great bunch of fellow students – after lurking and watching them for a distinctly sinister moment. And so on.
Toward the end of the film, it seems Nunez becomes self-aware of his script, and the fact it’s just a little too straight-forward with Nic’s flourishing. So, after another series of reflections, and imagined scenarios, the class-mate he has been carrying a torch for rejects his invitation to go on a date. Cue a moment of glum reflection, where the colour drains from the visuals again – and Nic stares blankly at the water of a picturesque canal somewhere in Utrecht.
It is here where, at his lowest, the story flirted with getting really dark for a second in its first quarter – before a character simply credited as “Hobo” (Rik Boer) intervened to talk Nic out of doing something he regretted. Once again, the straight-talking character emerges, only to find Nic in a better place, realising that this is in fact a minor set-back, and life will go on. The second interaction sees Nic finally ask about his saviour’s life – “you’re my age, why aren’t you in school like me?”– at which point his answer indicates there isn’t nearly so much Beauty of Life available to Hobo.
Weirdly, for a film where close to 50 minutes of its runtime have just been shown up as a middle-class triviality in the grand scheme of things, Nic brushes past the revelation hastily. Calling time on their second encounter, he states “no offence, but I have to meet my friends now” – friends who he later ends a happy evening telling all about the magical homeless guy who keeps helping him down by the canal.
So, yeah, sorry, Hobo, thanks for stopping me from jumping into a canal and all, but I’m too ashamed to call you a friend – let alone invite you to the warm place I’m about to eat and drink. Have you tried giving yourself an angry pep-talk, or phoning your mum for money? Things would probably work out for you then!
Considering the film is as long as it is, and so much of that time is devoted to the character arc of Nic, its a moment which serves to completely undermine any of the supposed growth we’re supposed to have seen. And it also gives us a glimpse of the film this might have been – where a character’s personal growth might not just give them the ability to find the beauty in their lives, but to empathise with others who might be struggling, and help them on that same journey.
On a technical basis, Muller’s camera still manages to pick out some interesting, layers shots. And Nunez’ editing of the assorted montages is effective, at least in terms of understanding what is going on. The problem is, the best work at the heart of the film is in service of a story so superficial, so weirdly tone-deaf in relation to the social issues it accidentally touches upon, that it ultimately feels like a waste.