Still alive ... I know, it's the first time when I've jumped over a week without notice (fake promise: it won't happen again & cliche: my life is complicated). Unfortunately I don't have anything good enough to compensate the absence. So, let's try a 3-in-1. Fast, because again I don't have time ;)
1. Life after .. death : "Transcendence" was top of expected list for me on this year announced releases. Harsh disappointment. I don't even know what to bash first. The story, although relatively simple considering how much you could get from "mind uploading" as subject, is still ok. From story to script though ... the disaster starts to catch shape. Let's say I can ignore the ton of IT related stupid stuff placed there for the average viewer (although it can be done without, or try to do it much more accurate - again, the classic example: "Antitrust"). But I didn't see such cliche density for quite a while. Again, I can confirm myself the rule of "don't trust a screenwriter at the 1st script if the movie's not an indie". He will get it done either to shocking too impress (not the case here), either too simplistic for a wider appeal, or he knew the producer and that was enough to get the job. And we can supplement this with the second rule "don't trust a visuals guy at his 1st directing attempt either". Wally Pfister is a good cinematographer - the guy normally working with Nolan ("Inception", "The Dark Knight", "The Prestige"). You can see here too some touch from his side, although he's not in charge with this. But for directing ... the movie has real problems. Well, it's a mix of problems adding the script and the production design, but for some issues the final call comes from the director's side. When you have .. what to pick .. gibberish screensavers on every monitor seen in the movie (to get the geekysh feeling) ... or a pathetic attack using 2-3 mortars to charge on a gigantic subterranean bunker (and on top supported by the U.S. government) - the scene could have been done with an F18 solving the problem quickly, efficient and precise from above .. but well, we wouldn't have had the "romantic drama" (+ an F18 adds more to the budget than some mortars). I don't know .. it really doesn't make sense to lose more time talking, because except bashing the movie I don't think I have anything left to say. It's not exactly the same thing, but I can recommend "Source Code" as a much better alternative. For "Transcendence" I only have one thing to appreciate (and that's subjective), namely Rebecca Hall as female lead character. Except that ...
Rating: 2 out of 5
2. Life after .. just life : "Du Levande" or "You, the living" is a Swedish production that I've seen in small pieces throughout the week. And from which I was expecting again more. I wrote recently an entry on "La Grande Belleza". Well .. if we cut (a bit) from the visuals, we cut (more) from the budget, and we replace the decadence with absurdity the result is pretty much what we have here. The last part is not something bad actually. Basically, the movie is a sequence of scenes, many being somewhere close to Kafka. Not very well entangled though = we don't have a story, and I'm a bit too tired these days to fully appreciate a movie that invests a lot in symbolism ( and if we add "meaning of life" as central topic it already starts to get depressing :) ). But if you're in the mood for food for thought, it's a good choice ...
Rating: 3 out of 5
3. Life after .. the apocalypse : "Noah" - where apocalypse = obviously the flood. The movie is sort of opposite to "Transcendence". The ark story is known by everybody, so you won't get big surprises. Still, if you're not a bible fanatic to get a stroke due to variations from the text, the additions made are very welcome as an original touch. And for directing, it's visible that Darren Aronofsky is somebody who proved his skills before. With "The Fountain" for example, which is close in style here-and-there (or maybe it was just Clint Mansell's soundtrack reusing some notes). Still, "Noah" is not "The Fountain". The metaphor is thinner, and the drama gets a bit hilarious in some points (which strange enough adds a bit of color to the film, although might look a bit pic out-of-place). One thing to appreciate ( at least by me :) ) is that I don't see the production targeting (despite the subject) the by-the-book believers and (obviously) neither the convinced atheists. Or different put, there are parts which probably might work for both ( might .. since I'm on neither of the "extreme sides" I don't know for sure :) ). In the end, with/without divinity, the main message is probably close to: people can change - some do .. some don't - :) but they deserve a chance to prove it ;)
Rating: 3 out of 5
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment