evangeline

I like horror (movies), but I am not the kind of fan that will fawn over any poorly lit and scripted serving of it. I want to see a storyline, I wanted to be driven into a nightmare and scared, but I am not willing to forget what makes a film good for a few excited(?) jumps.

I wanted to like this dud I am reviewing, I did. I went with a good friend, it was a premiere at Lincoln Center in Manhattan, the director, writer and actor were there, it was sweet and personal, but the movie is just BLAH...

Didn't like it- it felt laborious, theatrical and cliché-ridden. The directing was choppy- the director never found the right groove it seems and he was trying so damn hard I could hear it. It dragged and it went on endlessly. If it weren't for the loud bouts of sound effects I would not have found a rhythm at all. The acting was unconvincing and listless (ok Rose Byrne had moments of clarity), including the two (extra) heavy handed comic relief atrocities that popped up for no apparent reason than a technical need for a diversion to liven up the sea of dull. I didn't care for a single character, I pretty much wished them dead and over with. Not good.

The storyline was way predictable- part Paranormal Activity, part Amityville, part Poltergeist, and not in a good way- ugh- just DULL... Didn't get scared, except for my popcorn running out...

How can I really comment on something so beautiful and profoundly moving without sounding trivial, without piling superlatives which will mean nothing to the person who hasn't seen the film and do not really need to be verbalized by those who have?!

This film has been dealt a huge injustice by being presented as a horror story, a gore fest or somesuch pedestrian qualifier, just so it can easily be categorized and digested by the largely simpleminded (American) (movie going) public.

However, it is very much NOT that. It has an esoteric story, enveloped in visual and historical and literary symbolism; it has unforgettable cinematography abundant of special effects (i would guess all in-camera) that I have never seen before; it has superb directing and acting and a prologue that contains some of the most unforgettable cinema that I have seen in my life.

I am moved beyond recovery. I will never forget this!

but I love the cast of this film more than any other Batman. Tommy Lee Jones, Val Kilmer, Jim Carrey, Debbie Mazar- what's not to love?!

I am getting tired of people bitching and disparaging Batman Forever or the Tim Burton movies for the sake of the current crop. They were very well-liked when they came out and as I recall there was a buzz and excitement about them just like there is now.

In 10-15 years when the current taste in film aesthetic is no longer around, the current Batmans (Chris Nolan) will be discarded just the same as older ones are. They are not any better, nor is Christian Bale any better Batman than Michael Keaton or Val Kilmer.