tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222475879097604897.post7649229088133769284..comments2023-10-31T10:21:00.796-04:00Comments on Thanks for the Use of the Hall: Career discontinuities, part two: The nosediveDan Sallitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13136066978329749513noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222475879097604897.post-33434021157597566832007-10-16T22:43:00.000-04:002007-10-16T22:43:00.000-04:00Jesse James is basically another useless showcase ...Jesse James is basically another useless showcase of half-assed Pitt posturing and worship given a western twist after Troy, so of course it ALSO sucks massively. This new Affleck is a joke of a lead actor, alright? An unfunny joke who I'm practically certain will never ever be turning in a show of range like a Changing Lanes or a Chasing Amy. <br><br>Not that this Dominik emperor was wearing many articles of clothing to begin with. I'm afraid Chopper isn't anywhere near as extraordinary as you believe, Dan. It's a strictly middling film that looks more dogshit than usual, really. (I'm reminded of Patty Jenkins' Monster here, which is a horrible film that looks more dogshit than usual.) Agreeable enough I suppose, but way too hushed and airless for a study of a MURDERER to be anything near great, or even that good. Bana basically kept behaved like a nice little Aussie without really challenging himself to any degree, and every movie of his since has rightfully unmasked him for the mediocre, banal and uninteresting actor he is. My temptation to watch Chopper again is absolute zero.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222475879097604897.post-17945941571720272612007-10-13T21:10:00.000-04:002007-10-13T21:10:00.000-04:00Heavens, critics are bores. Reading Eric M, you w...Heavens, critics are bores. Reading Eric M, you would think he is about to enter a blackhole. Lighten up!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222475879097604897.post-47312846648925287052007-10-04T10:17:00.000-04:002007-10-04T10:17:00.000-04:00Eric - I haven't seen the last two movies that...Eric - I haven't seen the last two movies that you mention, but I'm looking forward to <b>The Darjeeling Express</b>. I've become fond of Anderson ever since <b>Tenenbaums</b>. And I'm a sucker for "This Time Tomorrow," which dominates the trailer.<br><br>I'm kind of sorry I used individual examples of nosedive films: the problem is really between me and the filmmakers, and I don't expect anyone else to have the same profile. In general, I prefer to write about things that work for me in films: at least that gives the writer something to describe, a completed circuit of pleasure delivery. Even if I'd gone into more detail about what bothered me about the films I'd mentioned, I'd basically be finding elaborate ways of saying "I don't get it." Which can sometimes be useful as a way of starting a conversation (and you gave me something to think about with <b>Married Life</b>), but it's not a peg that I want to hang my hat on.Dan Sallitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13136066978329749513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222475879097604897.post-4898790952447060752007-10-04T04:46:00.000-04:002007-10-04T04:46:00.000-04:00And as an afterthoughts, two recent films I can th...And as an afterthoughts, two recent films I can think of on the same topic (bad new experiences by otherwise good directors) would have to be both Noah Baumbach and Wes Anderson. When I finished watching "Margot at the Wedding," I just had a sour feeling in my mouth, and could not made head or tails of if I liked the film or not. And as time goes by, and with intense reflection, I kind of just hated it. Baumbach goes for the same "naturalistic" style of "Squid and the Whale"-snippets of awkward conversation, natural lighting, handheld camerawork, etc-but here it just seemed like he was throwing the style at the audience, forcing us to accept it as his own-it seemed less natural because of it.<br><br>In the case of Wes Anderson, I liked "Darjeeling Limited," but its a massive disappointment after his last three films, all of which I adore-and I credit "Tenenbaums" for the beginning of my interest in film-I had to be 12 when I saw it, but it showed me that there was more out there. Alot more.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04548851585310343916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222475879097604897.post-22074234733631442702007-10-04T04:38:00.000-04:002007-10-04T04:38:00.000-04:00Dan-I've seen all three of your examples, but ...Dan-<br>I've seen all three of your examples, but I am strongly with you on Secret Sunshine. All through TIFF, I talked to people who found it to be one of their top films at the festival, but with the exception of the lead performance. I thought it basically seemed endless, one thing happening after another on rather extreme levels. Where others saw emotion, I just saw a soap opera. <br><br>In the case of Jesse James and Married Life, that was my first experience with both directors, so I can't exactly be on the same level with you about those, but I did get something out of both of them. Jesse James was made extremely well, but maybe it faltered a bit in the second half. And Married Life was carried by the actors, and they made it completely worth it-especially Chris Cooper. I have a desire to read the original pulp noir novel that its based on, and at the Q&A Sachs was saying how the book ends on a real noir note-characters killing each other and whatnot. I thought it was pretty neat how he took a pulp noir book and turned it into something that was strangely heartfelt and even a tender at times. I enjoyed both films.<br><br>EricErichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04548851585310343916noreply@blogger.com