|
Post by ThirdMan on Jan 27, 2018 0:24:18 GMT -8
Well, I'm at least glad the film didn't show any explicit sexual interaction between Woodcock and his sister, though they certainly share an intimacy of sorts.
And yeah, I'd say the lead actress is at least DDL's equal in this, as is Lesley Manville.
|
|
|
Post by Jeremy on Feb 11, 2018 19:15:53 GMT -8
I saw Darkest Hour today. It's an impressive-looking film, vividly (if at times dimly) shot, and framed with great precision against the fearful early days of WWII. Gary Oldman is fantastic, embodying Winston Churchill in a way that makes John Lithgow look like an amateur. (No disrespect, John, you're a pretty cool guy. And I'm willing to forget Pitch Perfect 3 if you are.)
And yet... I left the theater feeling somewhat unsatisfied. Darkest Hour has all the markings of a great film, yet it never comes together the way it promises to.
A large part of the problem is that the film can't decide if it wants to be a crowd-pleaser or shameless Oscar bait. Churchill is portrayed as gruff and irascible, but there's an almost comical rhythm to his quirks and foibles. The film periodically indicates what a complex figure he is, but largely opts to saddle him with a traditional hero's arc, building to a gentle (and tonally inconsistent) pivot scene involving a ride on the underground.
Misplaced, too, is the film's emotional core. As Jay indicated in his own write-up, Elizabeth Layton (Lily James, a world away from Baby Driver) seems written to be the film's audience surrogate, but she doesn't get much of interest to do, and the film's attempts to develop her are sporadic at best. It almost seems as though the director is afraid to get too personal with the supporting cast, lest it undermine the film's self-serious pretensions - and thus, its chances at making a splash at awards season.
As it would turn out, most of the film's awards have gone to Oldman, and deservedly so - his performance alone makes Darkest Hour worth watching. But as assured as its depiction of Churchill is, it's a shame the film he's wrapped in suffers from such an identity crisis.
|
|
|
Post by Jay on Feb 11, 2018 19:41:24 GMT -8
"Identity crisis" would be an apt descriptor for it, since it's not clear what it's trying to do outside of give us a bit of a hurrah and put a real-life scene-stealer, played by an excellent actor, on camera. And it's enough to get Oldman some awards, I'm just not sure what the film's aims were, or if it had something specific it was attempting to bring out of those historical incidents. The scope feels simultaneously too grand and too small to withstand all that's packed into it, which keeps reminding me of the visual similarities from the doomed soldiers at Calais looking up as the bombs drop to Churchill doing the same as it becomes clear that the Germans are already doing air reconnaissance. Sure, it's resonant, but it's also a bit too on the nose, especially for a plotline that ignores the Blitz entirely. Both the Tube scene and the concluding speech on the floor (the closing of one frame, since Chamberlain refused to wave his handkerchief earlier) felt too neat, too easy, too simplistic a telling. It ultimately seems to take a lot for granted in terms of what we know while making the results a fait accompli from the moment he makes his grandiose speech at the end.
|
|
|
Post by Jeremy on Feb 12, 2018 6:38:34 GMT -8
I was briefly taken by the final scene, which featured what seemed to be a fitting close to Churchill's arc, before the pre-credits text reminded me that he was voted out of office shortly after the war ended. At that point, you start to realize that the film mostly functions as a quick and safe exploration of Churchill's early rising popularity, and wishes not to be gummed up by all his flaws and political fumbles.
Still, I'd say Oldman has a pretty good chance of winning the Oscar, provided the Academy doesn't decide to honor Daniel Day-Lewis one last time.
|
|
|
Post by Jeremy on Feb 13, 2018 16:36:06 GMT -8
Much to my everlasting regret, I watched The Emoji Movie.
It just... I mean, it just popped up on my Netflix recommendations.
'How bad could it be?' I thought.
'Can't be worse than Foodfight!' I thought.
So I watched it.
I watched The Emoji Movie.
And you know the worst part?
I will never know life without The Emoji Movie again.
|
|
|
Post by ThirdMan on Feb 13, 2018 19:14:18 GMT -8
So you've added it to your list of all-time favourites. Duly noted.
|
|
|
Post by Jeremy on Feb 13, 2018 21:31:58 GMT -8
In fairness, I don't think I've ever seen a film that so perfectly fits the definition of a "90-minute commercial." Literally the entire resolution of the plot is built around a merchandising gimmick. I've been disappointed by a lot of modern animation, but I can't remember the last time such a film actually made me angry.
Seriously, when your best character is literally a giant piece of poop, you need to rethink your movie.
|
|
|
Post by Jay on Feb 14, 2018 7:10:23 GMT -8
Okay but real talk, Sausage Party or The Emoji Movie?
|
|
|
Post by ThirdMan on Feb 14, 2018 7:44:12 GMT -8
Uh, Sausage Party got quite good reviews, and is actually very funny at times.
|
|
|
Post by Jeremy on Feb 14, 2018 7:50:44 GMT -8
Yeah, I'm pretty sure people like Sausage Party. I mean, I've only seen the first half, but it's got some legitimate creativity to it. And it's not in any way marketed to children, so there's little risk of it corrupting your kids' minds.
But in the grand scheme of bad animated films... I'd rank The Emoji Movie below The Angry Birds Movie, Space Chimps and Eight Crazy Nights. Probably below Norm of the North, although I only saw about 20 minutes of that film.
But I'd still put it above Foodfight!, because I refuse to believe anything could be as bad as Foodfight!
|
|
|
Post by Jay on Feb 14, 2018 12:28:12 GMT -8
Oh that quip was less about the quality overall as Jeremy's squeamishness. I know it was better received than any of us had anticipated.
|
|
Quiara
Grade School
Posts: 775
|
Post by Quiara on Feb 14, 2018 15:02:11 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by Jeremy on Feb 14, 2018 16:31:13 GMT -8
In fairness, there is perhaps no form of oppression as effective as showing your citizens The Emoji Movie.
|
|
|
Post by ThirdMan on Feb 16, 2018 20:16:19 GMT -8
I suspect Black Panther is getting nearly as much love for its charismatic, well-defined female characters as its racial elements. It's not perfect (underlit action and sometimes-dodgy visual effects are readily-apparent deficiencies), but it gets most everything else right.
|
|
|
Post by Jeremy on Feb 17, 2018 16:10:20 GMT -8
The film is getting a lot of praise for its racial elements, and I'm hearing good things about the portrayal of women as well. (Not surprising, given that the Dora Milaje are the best part of the comics.) But just when you think everyone's happy, something like this pops up. Anyhow, I'll probably check out the film in the next couple of weeks.
|
|