Before Sunset(dir. Richard Linklater)
The characters are much more likeable this time around due to their more realistic and less naive disposition. They still yearn for true romantic love, but they're more cynical and more experienced from simply living their lives since the last time they saw each other. It's refreshing to see that this film is purely focused on the couple's ongoing conversation and doesn't resort to colorful side characters to "spruce" up it's narrative. It's a better film than Before Sunrise, but I don't know if I would quite call it great. It's ending, while perfect in set-up, isn't all that emotionally satisfying due to a use of a fade to black instead of just cutting it off. Broken English, a film that "borrows" this film's last two lines, ended by simply cutting it off and it was pretty much perfect because of it. A fade to black just makes an end is too conclusive and doesn't create audience curiosity like a simple cut to black does. It's just that I'd imagine enjoying it more if it concluded better. I highly recommend.
***1/2 out of ****
Showing posts with label linklater. Show all posts
Showing posts with label linklater. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Oh Richard Linklater...
Best to Worst
1. Before Sunset
2. A Scanner Darkly
3. Dazed and Confused
4. Before Sunrise
5. Fast Food Nation
1. Before Sunset
2. A Scanner Darkly
3. Dazed and Confused
4. Before Sunrise
5. Fast Food Nation
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Oh Vienna...
Before Sunrise(dir. Richard Linklater)
The only reason why I watched this movie was because I want to see Before Sunset and I hate not seeing a movie that preceded whatever movie I want to see beforehand. The biggest problem I had was that they hit it off too well and too quickly. If the film was perhaps more whimsical and hopelessly romantic, I would be able to believe it, but since the film is fairly realistic in terms of their conversations and the things that they do, it's hard to believe it especially given that they're fairly analytic about their relationship. While their conversations are definitely believable, it's hard to really say they're all that interesting. Philosophical banter can be amusing like in Linklater's Dazed & Confused and A Scanner Darkly, but here, it's kind of mundane and uninteresting. The couple don't feel their conversations are ultimately trivial even though in a way, they pretty much are. If these characters have understood that their conversations are trivial much like the characters in a Whit Stillman film do, it would have been more fun and enjoyable. I ragged on this film enough. I thought it was good, but you could clearly see how they could have improved it. I think a lot of it's problems could have been assuaged if it was more romantic. I hope Before Sunset is. I recommend.
*** out of ****
The only reason why I watched this movie was because I want to see Before Sunset and I hate not seeing a movie that preceded whatever movie I want to see beforehand. The biggest problem I had was that they hit it off too well and too quickly. If the film was perhaps more whimsical and hopelessly romantic, I would be able to believe it, but since the film is fairly realistic in terms of their conversations and the things that they do, it's hard to believe it especially given that they're fairly analytic about their relationship. While their conversations are definitely believable, it's hard to really say they're all that interesting. Philosophical banter can be amusing like in Linklater's Dazed & Confused and A Scanner Darkly, but here, it's kind of mundane and uninteresting. The couple don't feel their conversations are ultimately trivial even though in a way, they pretty much are. If these characters have understood that their conversations are trivial much like the characters in a Whit Stillman film do, it would have been more fun and enjoyable. I ragged on this film enough. I thought it was good, but you could clearly see how they could have improved it. I think a lot of it's problems could have been assuaged if it was more romantic. I hope Before Sunset is. I recommend.
*** out of ****
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Oh Timmy and Richy...
Edward Scissorhands(dir. Tim Burton)
A Frankenstein story with a cuddly and sensitive Freddy Krueger. His attempts at satirizing suburbia fall flat and his style seems fairly superficial. I can't help, but wonder what it would have been like if it didn't have his Disney-fied Goth touch to it. I still liked it, though.
*** out of ****
Dazed and Confused(dir. Richard Linklater)
Last time I watched this was on TV, which probably actually enhanced the experience due to commercials fragmenting the "narrative." When you watch this film essentially in one sitting, you wonder what is the point of all this? I guess it takes on the aimless nature of it's characters, but there's a serious lack of narrative drive that makes it drag at times. The sense of nostalghia and the humor is obviously the main draw to the film. I liked it.
*** out of ****
A Frankenstein story with a cuddly and sensitive Freddy Krueger. His attempts at satirizing suburbia fall flat and his style seems fairly superficial. I can't help, but wonder what it would have been like if it didn't have his Disney-fied Goth touch to it. I still liked it, though.
*** out of ****
Dazed and Confused(dir. Richard Linklater)
Last time I watched this was on TV, which probably actually enhanced the experience due to commercials fragmenting the "narrative." When you watch this film essentially in one sitting, you wonder what is the point of all this? I guess it takes on the aimless nature of it's characters, but there's a serious lack of narrative drive that makes it drag at times. The sense of nostalghia and the humor is obviously the main draw to the film. I liked it.
*** out of ****
Monday, March 19, 2007
Oh Woody...
A Scanner Darkly(dir. Richard Linklater)
More stylistic than Fast Food Nation, but not as good. The moments between Keanu, Robert, and Woody were the best parts. Just them haning out and talking about nonsense. Kind of some paranoid Dazed & Confused or something. When it hit the 80 minute mark, it tried to pretty much sum up the whole reason why Keanu was undercover and infilitrating these guys. I don't know. I liked it alot up until that point. Maybe I should see Waking Life.
*** out of ****
More stylistic than Fast Food Nation, but not as good. The moments between Keanu, Robert, and Woody were the best parts. Just them haning out and talking about nonsense. Kind of some paranoid Dazed & Confused or something. When it hit the 80 minute mark, it tried to pretty much sum up the whole reason why Keanu was undercover and infilitrating these guys. I don't know. I liked it alot up until that point. Maybe I should see Waking Life.
*** out of ****
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Oh Poop...
Half Nelson(dir. Ryan Fleck and Anna Bodom)
The scene that really made it for me was when Dan goes to buy some crack and ends up buying it off of Drey. Its such a little scene, but seems to show the dilemma they both face in the film. The ending was very optimistic and makes the audience believe we can truly change and redeem ourselves. The most problematic scenes were the teaching scenes. Sure, you have to show his job somewhat, but overall, they really had nothing to do with the grand scheme of things. They are also portrayed in a fairly stereotypicaly cinematic way where the teachers seem to hold a discussion instead of just lecturing the kids. Sure, this style of teaching can happen, but its not very likely in a junior high setting. I liked this alot.
**** out of ****
Fast Food Nation(dir. Richard Linklater)
This movie just reminds me of Babel even though Linklater has been dealing with this type of narrative genre years before Babel, Crash, or even Magnolia came out. This movie is definately more messy than Babel, but the biggest difference is that Fast Food Nation actually has message behind. Actually, numerous messages. The border crossing aspect in both film's offers easy comparision. The border crossing in this film is much more thought-provoking than Babel's. Maybe because Babel's border crossing wasn't really about people illegally immigrating even though the nanny was in the US illegally. Babel basically throws this aspect of its narrative out there expecting audiences to think about it, but Fast Food Nation really dwells on this aspect. You watch this and you kind of say who gives a shit that these individuals are in our country illegally since they basically suffer immensely while living here. You feel sympathy for the individuals and it makes it much more thought-provoking than anything in Babel and this is just one of the stories. You got Greg Kinnear's character dealing with corporate marketing and covering up the fact that there is shit in hamburger meat. You got young people trying to make change, but basically realizing the problem is out of their hands. This story is probably the least effective because of the simple view that these young people have on the situation, but the film, thankfully, debunks their naive view. The best (and most unpleasant) in the film is when you finally see the killing floor in the meat packing factory. The scene is so effective because it not only shows what they do to the cows to make our meat, but also how it affects the individuals that have to do this work. You see a woman is just as horrified and disturbed by what she sees as the audience is. You see her cry and realize that what those people do is horrific, but almost heroic. While this movie does have its flaws, it is still one of the best movies of 2006.
**** out of ****
The scene that really made it for me was when Dan goes to buy some crack and ends up buying it off of Drey. Its such a little scene, but seems to show the dilemma they both face in the film. The ending was very optimistic and makes the audience believe we can truly change and redeem ourselves. The most problematic scenes were the teaching scenes. Sure, you have to show his job somewhat, but overall, they really had nothing to do with the grand scheme of things. They are also portrayed in a fairly stereotypicaly cinematic way where the teachers seem to hold a discussion instead of just lecturing the kids. Sure, this style of teaching can happen, but its not very likely in a junior high setting. I liked this alot.
**** out of ****
Fast Food Nation(dir. Richard Linklater)
This movie just reminds me of Babel even though Linklater has been dealing with this type of narrative genre years before Babel, Crash, or even Magnolia came out. This movie is definately more messy than Babel, but the biggest difference is that Fast Food Nation actually has message behind. Actually, numerous messages. The border crossing aspect in both film's offers easy comparision. The border crossing in this film is much more thought-provoking than Babel's. Maybe because Babel's border crossing wasn't really about people illegally immigrating even though the nanny was in the US illegally. Babel basically throws this aspect of its narrative out there expecting audiences to think about it, but Fast Food Nation really dwells on this aspect. You watch this and you kind of say who gives a shit that these individuals are in our country illegally since they basically suffer immensely while living here. You feel sympathy for the individuals and it makes it much more thought-provoking than anything in Babel and this is just one of the stories. You got Greg Kinnear's character dealing with corporate marketing and covering up the fact that there is shit in hamburger meat. You got young people trying to make change, but basically realizing the problem is out of their hands. This story is probably the least effective because of the simple view that these young people have on the situation, but the film, thankfully, debunks their naive view. The best (and most unpleasant) in the film is when you finally see the killing floor in the meat packing factory. The scene is so effective because it not only shows what they do to the cows to make our meat, but also how it affects the individuals that have to do this work. You see a woman is just as horrified and disturbed by what she sees as the audience is. You see her cry and realize that what those people do is horrific, but almost heroic. While this movie does have its flaws, it is still one of the best movies of 2006.
**** out of ****
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