My summary headline above makes more sense than this movie. In fact, I can write my shopping list in place of a review, and it would probably make more sense than the story of this film. I haven't read the novel so it should go without saying that I was relying on the film to tell at least some of the story. Instead I got imagery followed by more imagery followed by a headache.
The first twenty minutes of this film I spent pondering if there was something wrong with my TV screen as the images appeared exceptionally dark. It wasn't until later that I realised the director was doing this to convey...darkness...wow...profound.
On a positive note there is some very good camera work and cinematography in the film briefly. On a negative note, they take something that worked well once and repeat it for about 20 minutes throughout the film. Thus dulling you to the brilliance of the original scene.
As I said earlier, the story is left completely up to interpretation. I don't mean that there is a story told with an ambiguous ending. Or there are some elements that allow the viewers to guess. No, I mean there is hardly a story here to begin with. Unless you've read the novel, I guarantee that you'll have to read a plot summary on the internet to figure out what the hell happened. That is if you even care enough to know.
This film will resonate well with critics and audiences alike who prefer to use words such as "art" to describe films. Those that snigger and raise their noses in the air like we the mass public just don't get the brilliance of this piece of work. Those that sit quietly and nod their heads in approval as a 30 second clip of Scarlett Johansson staring blankly at a dirty mirror is shown. Those that mumble "sublime" to themselves as a drum beat is accompanied with a shot of the same actress driving around for 2 minutes in darkness.
But of course, I am simply not seeing how ahead of its time this film is. It's a masterpiece. A work of art. Elegance on the screen. That is until the next pile of crap is shovelled onto the screen and over sensationalised by the same people...I can't wait!
The first twenty minutes of this film I spent pondering if there was something wrong with my TV screen as the images appeared exceptionally dark. It wasn't until later that I realised the director was doing this to convey...darkness...wow...profound.
On a positive note there is some very good camera work and cinematography in the film briefly. On a negative note, they take something that worked well once and repeat it for about 20 minutes throughout the film. Thus dulling you to the brilliance of the original scene.
As I said earlier, the story is left completely up to interpretation. I don't mean that there is a story told with an ambiguous ending. Or there are some elements that allow the viewers to guess. No, I mean there is hardly a story here to begin with. Unless you've read the novel, I guarantee that you'll have to read a plot summary on the internet to figure out what the hell happened. That is if you even care enough to know.
This film will resonate well with critics and audiences alike who prefer to use words such as "art" to describe films. Those that snigger and raise their noses in the air like we the mass public just don't get the brilliance of this piece of work. Those that sit quietly and nod their heads in approval as a 30 second clip of Scarlett Johansson staring blankly at a dirty mirror is shown. Those that mumble "sublime" to themselves as a drum beat is accompanied with a shot of the same actress driving around for 2 minutes in darkness.
But of course, I am simply not seeing how ahead of its time this film is. It's a masterpiece. A work of art. Elegance on the screen. That is until the next pile of crap is shovelled onto the screen and over sensationalised by the same people...I can't wait!
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