Ned Benson created a film that many have not experienced before. Benson’s The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby premiered at the Toronto Film Festival on Monday, but it captivated audiences not only because of the story line. Benson’s 3-hour-long film plays out two side of the same story, but the interesting part is that it is two entirely different movies. The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby is composed into two parts, Him and Her. The story is based on a young couple as they fall in love, and one movie is the man’s experience as their relationship falls apart, and the other film is the woman’s personal experience of it all. The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby addresses the concept that there are two sides to every story, and this film allows the film-goer to realize how different the story becomes when there are conflicting perceptions and memories.
While the idea is innovative and the attendees of the Toronto Film Festival gave high reviews of the film, the interesting point will be whether distributors will take a risk with such a different film. They are now gambling whether a film-goer will take the time to watch a three hour film, one right after the other based on the same story. It is an intriguing concept that would be a huge risk, which might be worth it because the differences in perceptions of each characters’ memories makes for an enthralling storyline. Only time will tell if the The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him and Her will make it out a winner at the Toronto Film Festival.
James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain play the couple in love in the movie.
