Films/DVD Asylum

There are message movies, and there are sermon movies

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In Reply to: Easily the best major film studio release of the year. posted by tinear on April 19, 2007 at 11:07:32:

Messages should be subtle. In CoM, it was painted all over it. Grittiness was novel in the 70s. Its overdone now, and in this film was a serious distraction. The dank trash-strewn set "design" was overpowering. The thick accents blunted what little dialogue there was (we agree). The story was so undercooked that it was undigestable. Its potential power was squandered the maker's insistance that we "get" it. Good editing and camera work were defeated by the flat lighting and too-grim sets.
Anytime a film makes me more aware of its gimmicky manipulations and technical failings than the story and characters, the film maker has really blown it. I am thankful, though, that they never went ahead with that smellivision idea for movies.

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One's "flat lighting" is another's "not overlit". nt - clarkjohnsen 07:35:19 04/21/07 (1)
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- Besides, the light in London is always so directional and hard -never soft or overcast. n/t - Vinylized 08:45:51 04/23/07 (0)
  n/t
No, I don't recall any lecturing in the film. I actually thought it was - tinear 16:09:45 04/19/07 (0)
quite subtle, leaving the major "message" to be the reaction of the fighters in and outside of the building.
I think in this case, the future accurately was portrayed, given the condition of the world.
I thought the film was extremely character and storyline based: no gratuitous violence, no extended chase scenes or battles. Yes, it had all of those elements but they were plot driven, not vice-versa.
I thought the story was carried to term... I don't know what you felt was undeveloped?
Person found, something occurs, hero attempts to preserve lives.
Anyhow, I have seen so many films your comments apply to but I'm really surprised you'd think they fit this film.
Oh, did I mention how much I liked the collateral actors, too? The midwife, the gypsy, the dread-locked attacker and, of course, the Caine character which was subtly over the top, not too much to be a cartoon but enough to provide a little lightness.
Re: There are message movies, and there are sermon movies - Vinylized 13:22:07 04/19/07 (0)
So a story about a "semi-post-apolyptic" world mired in something akin to a civil war should have looked like...oh I don't know...'The Wizard of Oz'? Interesting take, I guess. To each his own.
Emmanuel Lubezski's (sp.) cinematography (and as an extension his "flat lighting") was awarded the ASC award for excellence in cinematography (by his peers) as well as an academy award nomination, and IMHO; it was technically one of the most stunning pieces of work in a long time, thanks in part to it's simplicity and primitive grittiness.
I for one kind of relished in and enjoyed the "What if this thing keeps on going the way it is going" message that was part of it's core.
Again, to each his own.

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