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is the lack of meaningful endings. Take for examples some decent
movies such as, The Fight Club, Being John Malkovich among others.
They have good stories to tell, and carry them out well, but somehow
hey just don't know how to conclude. Anyone disagrees?
Let the directors do the movie and the movie ending like they envision it. Too often the movie company mandates what it thinks the public will buy. One of the best example's is the difference in the initial release version of Blade Runner versus the director's cut released many years later. Night and day. Of course, the director's cut rules.
Both "Fight Club" and "Being John Malkovich" started out like gangbusters, with really original ideas, then fizzled. Overall, I still hold "Being John Malkovich" in pretty high regard, as it doesn't depend as much on having a big finish. "Fight Club", however, needs the big finish that "The Sixth Sense" had to complete its story. Also, I didn't get the white supremacist angle that cheesed Roger Ebert off so harshly against "Fight Club"; just thought it was a film for frustrated, emasculated men.Another film that died early was "Dogma". The first half was very funny, but the second half was an ugly, disorganized mess. Sorry to post this one on the eve of Good Friday.
Of the films I saw in '99, I think I enjoyed "Run Lola Run" the most, as it was a consistent, well-finished concept from beginning to end. It had a direction and we (the audience) were confident that it was going to get us there. "American Beauty" also had good direction toward a telegraphed ending, as Kevin Spacey told us in the beginning that this was how he died.
I think there's a couple of reason for the lack of what you call "meaningful endings" in today's movies. First, too many movies are the product of committee thinking in which the story line takes a back seat to issues such as merchandising and promotion, as well as the possiblity of a sequel if the film is a success. (I'm waiting for "Titanic - The Sequel" or even better, "Rocky XXXVII" in which 87-year-old world champion Rocky Balboa fights the ghost of Burgiss Meredith).Second, the typical Hollywood film is structured in four acts, and the director usually likes to give the audience a big bang in act III in order to keep their attention and set them up for the film's ending. And it's no secret that American filmgoes love a happy ending, so quite often story logic goes out the window at this point in order to provide conflict/resolution 3rd/4th acts. One example of this is "Mosquito Coast" which I watched a couple weeks ago - Harrison Ford's character suddenly veered radically off course in the third act in a scene that almost seemed lifted from another movie. Or consider Mel Gibson's strong character study in the remake of "Payback" - the first two acts were terrific, then plot and characterization went out the window in a ridiculous and totally gratutious shootout in the third act. I can't begin to count how many otherwise-excellent movies have been ruined by this practice. (If you're feeling *really* masochistic, check out the fist fight in the third act of "They Live" -- it goes on for 7-1/2 minutes and grinds the movie to an absolute and utter halt).
Personally, I can overlook just about any flaw in a movie as long as it has a stong, propulsive narrative - something which, as you so rightly point out, is sadly lacking in movies today.
did you se "Wing Commander"?I did! In the theatre! I walked away saying ... what the h_ll was that? I've seen longer TV episodes. That's it! It must be sparking a Showtime weekly show after the SG-1 pattern. It'll work great there ... provided someone hires a writer.
Man, it was the antipathesis of "Lost in Space" where I felt that I was on a rollercoaster ride. I just said that they could've cut it into a little longer version. The story was unfolding at a blistering pace. SLOW DOWN
...from a movie inspired by a video game? I missed this one in the theaters but saw it on satellite and agree completlely. A 1 hr TV shows worth of content at the very most. I saw an interview of the video game devloper - he was the guy who sold the movie concept and actually got to direct! Let's see, a shoot 'em up video game maker directing a movie - I'm actually surprised it wasnt even worse than it was...joe
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