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Flawed, but on the whole pretty good. Hurting OTM about the suburban cinematography. I suspect that if I saw this again though, I probably wouldn't like it as much.
Bonus points for getting the PBS Frontline narrator to do the voice-overs.
― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Wednesday, 27 December 2006 21:04 (seventeen years ago) link
Just saw this today and I was impressed, by the sheer competence of the film making, by the performances (particularly Winslet), and by the subtext running contrary to that of your typical Hollywood film; no, you can't always follow your dreams and be impulsive, a lot of being grown-up and living in the real world is about compromise and self-control.
― Chap (chap), Sunday, 31 December 2006 00:36 (seventeen years ago) link
Most of the time I look at Armond White (I don't even know if he wrote about this movie or not) and say "no, it's not possible for someone to so frequently be against the grain of popular opinion." And then movies like this come along and remind me that, yes, it's possible to be the only one who hates something everyone else loves.
This movie sucks shit.
― Eric H. (Eric H.), Sunday, 31 December 2006 03:09 (seventeen years ago) link
I didn't hate it at all, but I was somewhat confused when I heard an
interview with Todd Field afterwards, just at how carefully the film had obviously been made, in ways that left little impression on me. I feel a similar way when I read obviously intelligent, sensitive people gushing over it.
The voiceover, I didn't like, for similar reasons to the reasons I didn't like the Desperate Housewives one.
The paedophile's performance was excellent, and I loved reading of the kind of obscurity that the actor was rescued from by Field. And [SPOILER ALERT] I did like that it steered a surprising course with his fate and recidivism. The date scene was very powerful. But ultimately, I didn't feel his story meshed satisfactorily with that of the other characters. I had the feeling that it might have made more sense in the novel. And the story of the jock hounding him because of his own demons felt a bit of a blunt tool.
― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 31 December 2006 11:35 (seventeen years ago) link
the narration was total WTF, caught between irony and sincerity. (sorry cutty) otherwise I already forget the rest of the movie.
"sheer competence" feels like damning w/faint praise, tho obv wasn't intended as such. a step above adequate I suppose
― m coleman (lovebug ), Sunday, 31 December 2006 14:05 (seventeen years ago) link