Heartbreak Library (2008)

Very few movies can stir my emotions almost to the point of tears. This is one of them. It charmed me from the start and left me feeling that I had spent two hours very well.

The story is elegant and touching, and while some might say it is slow, I think it is well paced: it shows a window of time, a week or so, in the main characters' lives, and that is reflected in the progression of the movie.

Though by no means a sad movie, it has many poignant moments, and is, I feel, the better for them. Through the tragedies and heartache, you experience the depths of the characters' emotions, you glimpse the reasons behind their subtle reactions and realize what impels them.

The leads are natural and unaffected, their emotions and expression genuine. Hesitant smiles, miffed expressions, anguish, slow tears, pensive frowns, playful smirks, gentle laughter — they do not feel acted but instinctive and sincere.

The music is perfect for the movie in tone, pace, and content. Indeed, it is one of the first things I liked about the movie. It beautifully captures the emotions within the movie, translating them in the exquisite way that only classical instruments can. Stringed instruments, particularly the violin and the piano, both which convey an extraordinary range of emotion, are used to great effect.

The movie does not try to explain or justify itself, preferring to let the story work its own magic. Consequently, there are a few loose ends, but that only lends to its charm. Real life always has loose ends, it never ties up neatly, and there is never a dramatic 'The End' splashed across an end screen while happy music plays quietly in the background. Life flows on, a million stories running concurrently. This movie reflects that: its ending is more like the end of a first chapter, a beginning rather than a conclusion.

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