You and Me and Everyone We Know -- Ricky Leighton

You and Me and Everyone We Know is about substandard living in a suburban neighborhood. It attempts to show the bleak lives of people living and working in mundane situations. The bright light at the end of the tunnel being the happiness that characters try to find in their own lives. For instance, Miranda July's character is striving for someone to love her because up until now, her life has be lonely and unexciting. Richard is in a similar predicament, having just divorced his wife, he is attempting to refuel a dry relationship with his children. The little girl is fascinated with homeware because her life is so boring that normal childish games can't entertain her.
This bleakness is portrayed not only through the characters but the suburban setting itself. The set design in the film is created in order to give everything a distinct feel i.e. the solid colors of Miranda's bedroom or the emptiness of Richards apartment. The shooting strategy is uninteresting also. None of the shots in the film really stood out as being extravagant or extremely complicated. Instead the film relies on the imagery of the birds, the sun setting and suburbia in order to propel this theme.
The only issue is that while trying to portray this "real life" feel to the characters, there is also a quirkiness and absurdity added to all of the situations in the film. In the end, the film had a clear shooting plan and decent set design but the overall message was faulty in it's delivery.