If I said that I watched A Rainy Day In New York because of its plot, that would be a lie. The trailer of the film didn’t impress me much, and if I have to be honest I watched it mostly because of my crush for Timothée Chalamet rather than for any other reason (I could seriously write a whole book talking about his acting skills and how I’ve watched every single video uploaded by the YoungArts channel – definitely worth a watch). Even though my expectations were not so high, I ended up loving the movie.
My beloved Timothée wears the shoes of Gatsby Welles, a weird young boy with a crazy love for jazz and for Ashleigh (Elle Fanning), his girlfriend. Despite his high IQ, he doesn’t seem to be interested in any type of career, but rather in playing poker. Gatsby and his girlfriend decide to go to Manhattan for a weekend because Ashleigh has been given the opportunity to interview a famous filmmaker, Roland Pollard. Gatsby can’t wait to show her around his favorite city, and has the whole weekend planned. That’s when the movie gets interesting. From the very beginning, it’s clear that Gatsby and Ashleigh are completely different, but you know what they say, opposites attract. This is evident from the way they talk but also from a very small detail: their perception of the weather. While Gatsby is convinced that the rain would make New York even more romantic, Ashleigh cannot stand the idea of going around with such a weather. Small difference, you may say – but try not to forget this (un)important detail. Because of the rain itself – which by the way seems to move the characters like a puppeteer – nothing will go as planned. Gatsby will find himself walking alone around New York and talking to his ex-girlfriend’s sister (Chan, i.e. Selena Gomez), with Ashleigh getting to know famous people on the other side of the city.
The characters are as funny and eccentric as one would (un)expect considering that Woody Allen wrote the script. The movie is weird in the best possible way and continuously surprising – you can never tell what’s going to happen next. The dialogues are funny, the characters are peculiar, and the shots of the city look like paintings. Needless to say, the music is wisely chosen in every moment – and it is jazz music, of course. Timothée certainly grabs the spotlight with his brilliant interpretation of Gatsby. Despite being fascinating in every possible way, Gatsby doesn’t seem to care about anything or anyone but Ashleigh. His confidence can be perceived by his moves, but he is still awkward and uncomfortable while talking to Chan or simply when he’s walking alone. Under this apathetic layer, though, Gatsby is actually a hopeless romantic boy who finds comfort in jazz music and sings Everything Happens To Me (by Chet Baker) while playing the piano in someone else’s house.
So yes, A Rainy Day In New York is a romantic film, but no, it’s not cliché. On the contrary, it will leave you with an unknown love for jazz and an unstoppable desire to go to New York on a rainy day. But mostly, it will make you wonder whether you are more like Gatsby (refined, elegant and interesting) or closer to Ashleigh (a simple social climber).
So who are you? As of me, I think I know the answer.
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