Great Mechanical Man. Great Mechanical Heart. (Movie Review)

Recently, my husband and I watched the sweet movie, "The Great Mechanical Man" on Amazon Prime. We hadn't seen a single advertisement, and the only reason it looked interesting was that the characters were played by actors, Jenna Fischer (The Office) and Chris Messina (Mindy) I recognized and it was Mother's Day and I didn't want anything emotionally taxing (see my book Joy, Interrupted if you don't know why).

Also, I watched the trailer:

I like quirky characters and Jenna's character reminded me of myself. Head in the clouds, misunderstood by others, people think they know what is right for her and not understanding her true nature --completely on the mark.

The male protagonist reflected some of the reasons I fell in love with my husband: sincere, committed, disdains people who are materialistic and really wanting the emotional support of a partner (the ex is hell on wheels).

The movie reminded me of why I love LOVE. It allows you to see the best (and of course worst) about yourself, reaffirms your values, and allows you to express what you think if beautiful in the world.

I was also struck by the issue of aging in this movie. Although the "heart" in the movie is unchanging, the characters are pure and simple in a child-like fashion, they are past 35. As I approach age 40 (less than one year!), it was nice seeing a female protagonist with wrinkles, a fairly unbecoming hairstyle, and bulky winter clothes find love--and personal transformation.

And what was so wonderful was that when she had the Epiphany that her wants and needs meant something and that being with someone who loved her for who she was, her face lit up and she was truly beautiful in a way that the more traditionally beautiful adopted sister (played by Malin Akermin) couldn't hold a torch to.

Overall, if you want to see something light, charming, and will warm your heart, a definite date night movie.

On a side note, from a publishing point of view it was interesting to see that I chose this movie because of it being advertised on Amazon prime. No inundation of ads, constant nagging of popular culture saturation, just a serendipitous moment -- it reminded me that all creative works find their home, with a little help from a platform.

Speaking of platforms, my books are also on Amazon :-)

http://amazon.com/author/melissa