Movie Reviews part 13: How many movies will Jessica Chastain star in?

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I loved it, even moreso the second time, and I highly recommend seeing it again when it hits the cheap theatre. I was able to appreciate it for what it was the second time without quibbling so much, and also really marveled at how brilliant the transitions/connections were done.

I understand where you're coming from w/r/t the structure, but keep in mind that when you're engrossed with a book, you've likely spend days or weeks with it, and have sucked much more information in a more active fashion. So going back down to the other side of the hill, as it were, is a little easier to deal with (not to mention you have the ability to flip back to refresh your memory).

With cinema, it's asking a lot for an audience to spend 30 minutes with some characters at the beginning, and then wait up to 2 hours to see them again (at its potentially most extreme with the Adam Ewing section). You're really testing patience, audience identification, etc. And I think it would be hard to illustrate the interconnectivity/synchronicity in the film format without putting these things next to each other using juxtaposition.

The way they did structure it places a different kind of demand on the viewer, but I think it's aimed at a generation that can handle this type of multi-layer, ADD storytelling. It's the future, to an extent.

What disappointed me the most initially is how poorly the Sloosha's Crossin' section was received by many viewers (Ashley isn't alone), as it was my favorite part of the book along with Sonmi. The second time around I enjoyed it a lot more, but perhaps I still have an edge from knowing the source so well. It's the culmination of the whole story, really, and should have been stronger. How, I don't know. But I felt Sarandon's delivery of her three premonitions/warnings for Zachry were too rushed; could a casual viewer even hear what she was saying? The whole theme is about people in power and how they treat those that aren't, and Meronym's decision to use her tech to help the dying girl combined with Zachry's decision to spare her life are the turning points, and I'm not sure if it had the appropriate weight.

Anyway, the coda was a little cheesy but I think a legitimate way to wrap things up.
 
Let me tell you, sitting next to a casual viewer (Travis) he could not hear what she said, nor did he understand who Old Georgie was. I had to tell him.


I'll also confess something else. I didn't finish the book in time to get to the midnight showing of the movie. I was ten pages away from finishing Robert Frobisher's story when I got there. I got home and finished it and when I read his last letter, I cried a little (I'm confessing to a lot of fiction-based crying tonight). It's one of the most powerful things I've ever read.
 
lazarus said:
I loved it, even moreso the second time, and I highly recommend seeing it again when it hits the cheap theatre. I was able to appreciate it for what it was the second time without quibbling so much, and also really marveled at how brilliant the transitions/connections were done.

I understand where you're coming from w/r/t the structure, but keep in mind that when you're engrossed with a book, you've likely spend days or weeks with it, and have sucked much more information in a more active fashion. So going back down to the other side of the hill, as it were, is a little easier to deal with (not to mention you have the ability to flip back to refresh your memory).

With cinema, it's asking a lot for an audience to spend 30 minutes with some characters at the beginning, and then wait up to 2 hours to see them again (at its potentially most extreme with the Adam Ewing section). You're really testing patience, audience identification, etc. And I think it would be hard to illustrate the interconnectivity/synchronicity in the film format without putting these things next to each other using juxtaposition.

The way they did structure it places a different kind of demand on the viewer, but I think it's aimed at a generation that can handle this type of multi-layer, ADD storytelling. It's the future, to an extent.

What disappointed me the most initially is how poorly the Sloosha's Crossin' section was received by many viewers (Ashley isn't alone), as it was my favorite part of the book along with Sonmi. The second time around I enjoyed it a lot more, but perhaps I still have an edge from knowing the source so well. It's the culmination of the whole story, really, and should have been stronger. How, I don't know. But I felt Sarandon's delivery of her three premonitions/warnings for Zachry were too rushed; could a casual viewer even hear what she was saying? The whole theme is about people in power and how they treat those that aren't, and Meronym's decision to use her tech to help the dying girl combined with Zachry's decision to spare her life are the turning points, and I'm not sure if it had the appropriate weight.

Anyway, the coda was a little cheesy but I think a legitimate way to wrap things up.
Click to expand...

Thanks, yeah, this all makes sense and I don't really see anything I disagree with....I think a 2nd viewing is in order.

Ashley, the end is powerful indeed.
 
New films I saw recently:

Les Miserables
Jack Reacher
Premium Rush
Mekong Hotel
Amour
Tabu
Berberian Sound Studio

All but the first are really good.
 
Lancemc said:
New films I saw recently:

Les Miserables
Jack Reacher
Premium Rush
Mekong Hotel
Amour
Tabu
Berberian Sound Studio

All but the first are really good.
Click to expand...


Any thoughts on Tabu?


I just saw Once Upon A Time In Anatolia yesterday. Can't stop thinking about it. A lot to chew on thematically. Photography and direction were great too.
 
Not Fade Away was likely everything I hoped it would be, coming in as a huge admirer of Chase and The Sopranos. Still digesting it though. Expect another shameless blog link in the next day or two.
 
Lancemc said:
Man the entirety of Rust and Bone was silly bullshit.
Click to expand...

Surprised anyone would come away thinking this.

I found the late scare to be piling on the melodrama a bit much, and felt the
championship belt coda was unnecessary
, but preceding that is some of the best and most nuanced humanistic filmmaking I've seen all year.

The two leads are phenomenal. Cotillard is on a plane above most other actresses, her ability to suggest to much without overacting. Shoenarts is a real discovery; looking forward to checking out his award-winning perf in Bullhead soon.
 
Surprised so many are finding "nuance" or good humanism in it at all. The performances may be good, but it just all rang so over-wrought and dead in arrival, cinematically.
 
Life of Pi

Enjoyed it a lot; I remember being pissed off by the ending in the book but in the movie it somehow came off as much less annoying. Visuals were absolutely beautiful, my only complaint was that the tiger was so obviously CGI it kept taking me out of the movie a bit, because I couldn't stop my brain from going "fake tiger fake tiger fake tiger". I understand though that it probably would have been an absolute impossible nightmare to use a live animal.
 
You're the first person I know. Every friend who's seen it, and people I've discussed with it on message boards have all been astonished at how realistic the tiger effects work, many saying it's the best CGI they've ever seen.

Including myself.

:shrug:
 
Some scenes were more realistic than others, but for instance the first time we see the tiger walk in the corridor at the zoo I thought it was very obviously CGI (and the person sitting next to me actually said aloud, it's not a real tiger!) I saw it with some of the other animals as well; it's like their movements are just a fraction too smooth and unnatural somehow.
 
I thought the tiger effect was really good. My only problem with the movie was that it was a bit self-important and heavy-handed with its message, but I certainly enjoyed the ride.
 
I'm amazed at how well-viewed folks are in here. If I make it to the cinema once a month it's a lot for me.

Saw ZDT today. Gripping. The raid is flawless. The rest is good. Surprisingly I found Chastain a bit one note. Not her fault, but all she really was was "driven."

I can't even begin to touch the torture debate. It doesn't explicitly endorse, but by not outright condemning it could appear to some to endorse because it depicts what was a successful end, even if that end was never achieved by torture (and in fact torture produces bad information).
 
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