Hello, Bookstore (2021)

There aren't words adequate to describe how much I loved this movie. It isn't impressive filmmaking by any means, the real filmmaking credits, if there must be, would go to editing and score. No, the filmmaking is not what made this movie shine.

"Fiction is the filter through which I see the world... so that I don't run away"

This movie was an ode to the bibliophiles; the ones who see their lives through books. It is a tribute to the bookstore, the place where we gather to discuss our daily happenings and relish in local gossip. It is a love letter to the bookseller, the one who corrals the books and book lovers into one place and makes them feel at home.

The magic of the movie is the bookseller. His personality is so warm and endearing that within the first few lines of his dialogue, you feel as though you've known him for years. He becomes your adoptive grandfather. His love for the written word radiates as he reads passages from books and shares favorites with the townsfolk. His love for people and human interaction burns brighter.

The movie purports itself to be a chronicling of a bookstores survival through the pandemic but that element is trivial. You watch this movie to feel like you just popped into your local bookstore to catch up with a friend. This was the most comforting comfort movie I've ever watched.

There should be more documentaries about folks like these - not the super succesful folk who change the world on a massive scale but the ones who touch the lives of those around them.

P.S. this would make a hilarious double feature with "You've got mail"