Films/DVD Asylum

A very nasty piece of work. When none of the characters has

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In Reply to: The Ice Storm posted by PdL on July 31, 2005 at 20:37:51:

any human traits to admire, respect, or empathize with, who cares about them or what happens to them? Weaver continues her cold as ice bitch film persona w/out the fiery complexity of Bette Davis or Joan Crawford in their heyday.
No real reason to watch this film even once.

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That's about the weirdest "aesthetic" criteria I can imagine - Bulkington 13:43:38 08/01/05 (3)
To movies with real, flawed human beings--but in the case of this film, not wholly flawed, as it wasn't at all mysanthropic, as you imply--you prefer, what, John Wayne and Shirley Temple? Are your films of preference from Hollywood's code era? I really don't get your criticism, esp. when stated as a general principle. Would the film have redeemed itself if one of the main characters, to the accompaniment of angelic voices, had a dawning of moral clarity and announced: "Wait! Stop! Key parties are just immoral!" No human traits to admire or respect, fine. I'm not sure anyone would argue that as an aim of this film. It's something of an unabashed "downer," though quite moving, nevertheless. But none to empathize with? You're implying a degree of personal saintliness I've never encountered in anyone ever.
- You'd enjoy life more if you'd take a few moments and study logic. nt - tinear 15:33:05 08/01/05 (2)
  s
  - Maybe you should try following you own advice. - Bulkington 06:28:21 08/02/05 (1)
    Since, logically, your response was pretty much a non sequitur.
    Really. Sincerely. I don't get your criticism. Do you fault Othello for Iago? And your complaint about the film's world view (and then fallaciously--a term from logic, doncha know--attributing it to the director) strikes me as bafflingly hard-hearted and simplistic. Maybe you have more akin to Weaver's character than you care to admit.
    - Try reading Shakespeare in the - tinear 16:25:05 08/02/05 (0)
      original instead of the yellow jacket Cliff notes.
      Iago, compared to...ridiculous. Shakespeare's antagonists were multi-faceted human beings with positive as well as negative attributes, with, obviously, the latter outweighting the good. Still, even Hitler loved dogs and that's the problem with most Hollywood charactrerizations: evil has no redeeming parts so that the audience can watch and absolutely have no danger of relating to the "bad guy."
      You prefer the slasher mentality wherein bad is bad and good is good. Fine. I doubt you're as dull as you appear and I'll grant you the benefit of the doubt and consider you a guy who enjoys a good argument. Well, you'll have to do much better in the future. I'm responding so others can learn, you're probably so gonzo as to be beyond redemption (why assume false modesty when dealing with a dunderhead?).
Re: A very nasty piece of work. When none of the characters has - PdL 10:05:00 08/01/05 (2)
I empathized with most of the kids, but not with the adults. Weaver's kids were a bit too wierd for me, but I thought Ricci's and McGuire's characters were well done. The limited interaction of the numb/self-indulgent parents and their lost kids accurately illustrated the (negative) effects of growing up w/ emotionally absent parents.
- Human beings are complex and reducing them to a formula to fit - tinear 15:35:59 08/01/05 (1)
  a director's doom and gloom world view is morally repellent, aesthetically boring, and ugly as hell. If the Sistine Chapel ceiling frescoes were covererd with feces, some might claim they had a certain verisimitude but who'd want to look up to find out?
  - Morally repellent? LOL!! - PdL 17:16:10 08/01/05 (0)
    Good Lord man, give it a rest. Its only a movie.....

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