Auteur Miranda July talks innocence, Me and You

A special award-winner for originality at the Sundance Film Festival, Me and You and Everyone We Know succeeds for the opposite reason it received acclaim. Though some of the film’s setups seem bizarre, its underlying theme of trying to create a connection in an increasingly distant world is poignantly ordinary. Writer, director and star Miranda July manages to find art in the everyday. She creates a world in which a man sets his hand on fire in order to “save his life,” a seven-year-old girl spends her allowance on appliances and towels for her dowry and a goldfish precariously perched on the hood of a car becomes a symbol of life’s fragility. Occasionally, the scenes overreach, as does an exchange between July and her potential suitor, shoe salesman Richard Swersey (John Hawkes). Their shared two-block walk becomes a far-fetched metaphor for their imagined relationship. But for the most part, the film provides a refreshing take on even the touchiest of subjects. When seven-year old Robby (the adorable Brandon Ratcliff) forays into the world of online sex, it is apparent that this seemingly disturbing scenario is the innocent exploration of a lonely boy and ultimately comes across as comical rather than creepy. Full of standout performances, particularly from Hawkes, Me and You and Everyone We Know presents July’s quirky vision of reality—a vision the audience delights in sharing for an hour or two.