Saruman-1
Joined Jan 2002
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Reviews11
Saruman-1's rating
This film has tons of style and an intriguing mystery - but it can also be long and tedious and hard to get into. It lacks many aspects that make a good film - the characters are flat and unappealing, the plot is both confusing and banal and there is constant repetition.
On the other hand, there is one thing this film certainly is - memorable. There are few quite like it and once you have stopped expecting characters, a plot and other non-essentials, you can find some enjoyment in it by watching it as more of an art project on psychology and dreams. In my opinion, neither one of the greatest of all time nor "boring and pretentious" - but an experiment. And it is certainly better to try and fail grandly than it is to produce mediocrity.
On the other hand, there is one thing this film certainly is - memorable. There are few quite like it and once you have stopped expecting characters, a plot and other non-essentials, you can find some enjoyment in it by watching it as more of an art project on psychology and dreams. In my opinion, neither one of the greatest of all time nor "boring and pretentious" - but an experiment. And it is certainly better to try and fail grandly than it is to produce mediocrity.
Four shallow, generic characters make shallow, generic decisions, and this is supposedly gripping. If you are interested in the personal lives of a bunch of clones with the personality of oatmeal, watch this. If not, avoid.
Seeing as the only other review here at this time is ludicrous corporate doubletalk, I feel compelled to contribute my own view on this documentary, instead of going for a straw man, and comment on the big issue:
The interests of renters and of investment capitalists are diametrically opposed. By going to the roots of the problem and interviewing some people directly affected by this conflict of interests, as well as showing initiatives being taken to rectify it, this documentary manages to both cause outrage and give hope - something many documentaries on social issues fail at because they only present the problem, leaving the viewer hopeless. This film ends on a hopeful note but makes it quite clear that there is still a lot of change needed.
The only thing I missed was an opportunity for the other side to state its case (aside from a few short clips of Milton Friedman being his usual repulsive, sociopathic self) - but then again, the only corporate representative declined an interview. A little more persistence would have been helpful here.
The interests of renters and of investment capitalists are diametrically opposed. By going to the roots of the problem and interviewing some people directly affected by this conflict of interests, as well as showing initiatives being taken to rectify it, this documentary manages to both cause outrage and give hope - something many documentaries on social issues fail at because they only present the problem, leaving the viewer hopeless. This film ends on a hopeful note but makes it quite clear that there is still a lot of change needed.
The only thing I missed was an opportunity for the other side to state its case (aside from a few short clips of Milton Friedman being his usual repulsive, sociopathic self) - but then again, the only corporate representative declined an interview. A little more persistence would have been helpful here.