Dhruv Sharma
While most romantic movies follow a typical “delaying the inevitable” plot, some movies drift away from this stereotypical approach and give you a more nuanced and authentic depiction of relationships. ‘One-Way to Tomorrow’ treads a similar path. With the intimate conversations of its characters, it walks you through a fairly believable romantic tale. Because of this, it is hard not to wonder if it is actually based on a true story or at least draws its inspiration from real life.
Is One Way to Tomorrow Based on a True Story?
‘One-Way to Tomorrow’ is not based on one true story. But the fact that it lacks the romantic idealization that most movies have today, makes it seems pretty realistic. Instead of taking a one-dimensional look at relationships, the film realistically captures what falling in love looks like. And along with that, using its two broken characters, it also shows how no relationship comes with a “happily ever after” conclusion. Using its present timeline, the film first challenges one’s idealized notions of love that are commonly derived from mainstream romance films. And then, with its depiction of the pasts of its characters, it shows that no matter how fairytale-like one’s relationship may seem, it will be tested by the tides of time.
The film’s setup works more as an incubator where the two characters are seemingly trapped with one another. In a very predictable and archetypal fashion, ‘One-Way to Tomorrow’ shows a little bit of conflict between the two which is followed by moments of untainted infatuation. A brief spell rests upon the two characters as they get drunk and find themselves living in the present moment for once. But right after, this is followed by a sudden realization—like their past relationships, this, too may never work out. As a result of this realization, they bid their farewells once the train reaches its final destination. Although not too optimistic, even in its closing moments, the film sticks to its depiction of the natural course of a relationship instead of escaping into an unrealistically joyful fictional realm.
More than anything else, its the movie’s emphasis on dialogue that makes it seem real. This, complemented with its camera angles, allows a viewer to have a very immersive experience of the connection between its two characters. Along with all of this, even the performances of its two leading stars are commendable as they add a whole new layer of realism to their complex characters. Not to mention, because of how similar it seems to the ‘Before Trilogy‘, it is possible that the filmmakers of ‘One-Way to Tomorrow’ drew their inspirations from Linklater’s classics.
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