prohibited-name-1378
Joined Oct 2001
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Reviews3
prohibited-name-1378's rating
I was invited to this film at the last minute and had no idea what it was about. I was surprised to find it was about relationships and loss, not action and adventure. Jean- Marc Vallée sets the scene with a haphazard, dated Technicolor palette, even in the hospital and contrasts it with the cold tones, shapes and the crispness of Davis' house. The coldness is a kind of veneer or ice that has settled on the main character and the complex stages of reaction to loss that Davis (Gyllenhaal) goes through are the heart of this film. It has a kind of edgy subtlety that slides into crazy in just the right way. I loved the "rock and roll" soundtrack as Vallée put it.
A strong cast and story has made an entertaining and thought provoking film.
A strong cast and story has made an entertaining and thought provoking film.
This movie deals with a lot of classic hollywood archetypes: the lone hero, the honorable native, the bond between man and animal companion, the great quest to find oneself, the great race... Yes this is a "boys" movie, but it is also a wonderful cinematic journey that takes one from the wild and unrelenting west to the sand shifting, exotic and intense world of the Bedouin. The trailers led me to believe it would be an intense but light ride, like the Mummy, but it was so much more.
It never lost the feeling of the old Hollywood "big pictures" but there was an intimacy in the telling and a sensual and textural "realness" in the cinematography. The story of this film is simple, but finely developed and compelling. The action is great, but does not overshadow plot elements and more importantly, the fine acting by Viggo, Omar and the rests of the cast. I had not expected to like the movie, but must admit I was drawn into it and enjoyed it!
It never lost the feeling of the old Hollywood "big pictures" but there was an intimacy in the telling and a sensual and textural "realness" in the cinematography. The story of this film is simple, but finely developed and compelling. The action is great, but does not overshadow plot elements and more importantly, the fine acting by Viggo, Omar and the rests of the cast. I had not expected to like the movie, but must admit I was drawn into it and enjoyed it!
From the very first scene, this film is dark, and engaging as the viewer finds out what is going on, and then is immediately put into the mind of the central character.
The film explores a harrowing experience and one that in many ways is so horrific it is unmentionable. I found the tone, dialogue and atmosphere almost addictive, however the plot moves almost single-mindedly to a pre-determined end without much deviation. This is probably because it is a short film.
Not for the faint of heart - but I felt compelled to keep on watching.
The film explores a harrowing experience and one that in many ways is so horrific it is unmentionable. I found the tone, dialogue and atmosphere almost addictive, however the plot moves almost single-mindedly to a pre-determined end without much deviation. This is probably because it is a short film.
Not for the faint of heart - but I felt compelled to keep on watching.