Dotacion
Joined Jul 2003
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Reviews9
Dotacion's rating
Boring attempt at a quirky indie feature with mainstream actors playing anxious wimps or pathological sibs prone to embarrassing their responsible (but loving!) caretakers, including a long suffering wife who wants to conceive but whose dream is perpetually postponed by her husband's, yes, you got it, anxiety about his ambition, and which fails to exploit the college town atmosphere it's trying so hard to contextualize (sacrilege in an indie), and ultimately we get stuck with some unpleasant (and not in a schadenfreudy kind of way either) characters and unfortunately for us passive viewers this 'feature' features a protagonist (Chandler Bing - who seems to be specializing in wimpy-bois now and even into middle age) whose only goal at this stage in his life is to someday enjoy a nice steamy dump (Begelman would be shocked SHOCKED! at such a wuss wanting to flush away such valuable treats); in fact rather than waste any more of the few seconds I have remaining in this life I decided to pull the plug, cinematus-interruptus style, so you should surmise by now I am not so sad to report this fillum is a misfire from the get-go since I get to take revenge out via IMDb, so you should take it from me- a compassionate conservationist- I don't think you or anyone else should waste what precious few remaining seconds on this planet.
Would you pay good money(tm) had to spend some time (say 90 mins) alone with the person(s) you most dislike in this world ("in-laws") and sit passively while they go about flailing their crazy unorthodox manners and peccadilloes right under your nose?
Yes?
Then by all means, "enjoy."
I gave it a two ("2") because at least they all showed up to work knowing they had a time bomb ticking away, and still managed to record it for posterity.
Come to think, no THAT might have made a better movie, everyone obliterated in the end by a mad bomber movie patron. Maybe I should have stuck around to see... hmmm.
Would you pay good money(tm) had to spend some time (say 90 mins) alone with the person(s) you most dislike in this world ("in-laws") and sit passively while they go about flailing their crazy unorthodox manners and peccadilloes right under your nose?
Yes?
Then by all means, "enjoy."
I gave it a two ("2") because at least they all showed up to work knowing they had a time bomb ticking away, and still managed to record it for posterity.
Come to think, no THAT might have made a better movie, everyone obliterated in the end by a mad bomber movie patron. Maybe I should have stuck around to see... hmmm.
Some moveez emit a foul odor and leave a strange residue behind.
Zoolander for instance.
Granted, like smelling your own vapours, it's not without it's earthy delights. De Sade and other great philosophers were wise enough to never become too detached to enjoy the groveling and filthy part of life, for it is not without it's humbling charms.
It would be a great day for this country if our duly elected officials admit they occasionally like to be tied up and humiliated by dominatrix. East out of the bowl, little doggy. Arf!
I was reminded of a movie from the 70's - Faye Dunaway was in it¹ and it had an awfully slow pace. It was (to the best of my recollection) about the vacuous life of a model... and like many movies that portray characters in some sort of banal state, end up becoming banal itself... in that most awful sort of indulgent way (e.g. Lost in Translation). Poor baby, you're pretty, that's all that matters. kiss
Zoolander, and this unnamed Dunaway pic, were nothing alike, aside from the subject matter. Dunaway's was a dramatic treatment of a woman losing her grip on reality... Zoolander, well, lost it's grip on reality too, but not as the makers must have intended, I suppose. It's very threadbare idea unwound before your very eyes like a tennis ball, and the core with all of the bouncy bouncy energy fell to the floor and splat: was revealed as putty. Not the silly kind.
Where Zoolander went wrong was told the same gag told time after bleeding time... the preening, the preening, the preening. Could it have been so difficult to come up with, oh let's make it easy, two more gags? Then you could, like a punk band fueled with naught but testosterone and a modicum of talent, varied them enough to mine some gold in that great honking nose?
Zoolander's pathos was worn on it's sleeve; there was nothing subtle about it. The makers had some passing affection for their mentally challenged characters, but instead of the Dunaway movie, which went for the melodrama of the pretty woman coming unglued (with all the accompanying self-importance of that generation of film-making), they went for the yucks. Hey, I can't deny there were one or two chuckles. I want to let these guys clown around. We must encourage the Stillers and (the other guy)s of the world to have them make more laughs for us, the adoring audience.
But alas, it's wasted effort, and even this more than forgiving observer would have to recommend you give it a pass... ...unless your under 18 and have all the time in the world.
1. I just looked it up cos the memory was starting to itch, and it's entitled Puzzle of a Downfall Child (imdb # tt0066262). Don't bother, unless... (see the last sentence).
Zoolander for instance.
Granted, like smelling your own vapours, it's not without it's earthy delights. De Sade and other great philosophers were wise enough to never become too detached to enjoy the groveling and filthy part of life, for it is not without it's humbling charms.
It would be a great day for this country if our duly elected officials admit they occasionally like to be tied up and humiliated by dominatrix. East out of the bowl, little doggy. Arf!
I was reminded of a movie from the 70's - Faye Dunaway was in it¹ and it had an awfully slow pace. It was (to the best of my recollection) about the vacuous life of a model... and like many movies that portray characters in some sort of banal state, end up becoming banal itself... in that most awful sort of indulgent way (e.g. Lost in Translation). Poor baby, you're pretty, that's all that matters. kiss
Zoolander, and this unnamed Dunaway pic, were nothing alike, aside from the subject matter. Dunaway's was a dramatic treatment of a woman losing her grip on reality... Zoolander, well, lost it's grip on reality too, but not as the makers must have intended, I suppose. It's very threadbare idea unwound before your very eyes like a tennis ball, and the core with all of the bouncy bouncy energy fell to the floor and splat: was revealed as putty. Not the silly kind.
Where Zoolander went wrong was told the same gag told time after bleeding time... the preening, the preening, the preening. Could it have been so difficult to come up with, oh let's make it easy, two more gags? Then you could, like a punk band fueled with naught but testosterone and a modicum of talent, varied them enough to mine some gold in that great honking nose?
Zoolander's pathos was worn on it's sleeve; there was nothing subtle about it. The makers had some passing affection for their mentally challenged characters, but instead of the Dunaway movie, which went for the melodrama of the pretty woman coming unglued (with all the accompanying self-importance of that generation of film-making), they went for the yucks. Hey, I can't deny there were one or two chuckles. I want to let these guys clown around. We must encourage the Stillers and (the other guy)s of the world to have them make more laughs for us, the adoring audience.
But alas, it's wasted effort, and even this more than forgiving observer would have to recommend you give it a pass... ...unless your under 18 and have all the time in the world.
1. I just looked it up cos the memory was starting to itch, and it's entitled Puzzle of a Downfall Child (imdb # tt0066262). Don't bother, unless... (see the last sentence).
L' Auberge Espagnole
Having spent some time in Barcelona last year, I was looking for something nostalgic, and this really delivered.
Plus, I never had the opportunity to study abroad, and regret missing out on that experince. With L'Auberge Espagnole, I got to the opportunity be nostalgic for something I never personally experienced, but could relate to.
Two nostalgies for the price of a movie rental. Such a deal!
The film was very beautifully photographed. Oh la-la. Of course they took advantage of the inspirational locations- and did so exquisitely. Barcelona must be easy to shoot, cos it all gets on the screen. Lots of eye candy. Lots of warm fuzzys too- being with the ideal flat mates, with the only disagreements among their guests. They way you'd like it to be, though it never really is.
As a group for our protagonist to play against, the flat-mates are nice tight ensemble of actors who play off each other very well. I think the mutual respect the characters show to one another's origins- and making the effort to understand- is just what most people imagine must be going on in Europa now, as the integration of markets now filters down to the wo/man in the street.
Contrast the flat mates unity with the classroom scene where the instructor refuses to teach in Castilian Spanish- in Barcelona they speak Catalunyan. His argument: most of his students are Catalunyan. If you want to speak Spanish, go to Madrid or South America.
Regionalism is still something one will encounter in Europe (esp. Spain), and it is remarkable how strong this is- and it is growing. Is it any surprice people indentify so stongly with their own culture?
But ultimately the film is more than its subtext about how to get along with your (now closer) neighbors.
Like Ted in Whit Stillman's Barcelona, I prefer the text- the beautiful location, the actors enjoying their roles (one or two of them underplay their roles deftly). The struggle of juggling one's romantic life. The focus on it being more important to learn about life and romance and love through experience- more important than learning economics from text books- is exactly how it should be. All while living in a jazzy apartment that never feels too small.
Transport me at once.
Having spent some time in Barcelona last year, I was looking for something nostalgic, and this really delivered.
Plus, I never had the opportunity to study abroad, and regret missing out on that experince. With L'Auberge Espagnole, I got to the opportunity be nostalgic for something I never personally experienced, but could relate to.
Two nostalgies for the price of a movie rental. Such a deal!
The film was very beautifully photographed. Oh la-la. Of course they took advantage of the inspirational locations- and did so exquisitely. Barcelona must be easy to shoot, cos it all gets on the screen. Lots of eye candy. Lots of warm fuzzys too- being with the ideal flat mates, with the only disagreements among their guests. They way you'd like it to be, though it never really is.
As a group for our protagonist to play against, the flat-mates are nice tight ensemble of actors who play off each other very well. I think the mutual respect the characters show to one another's origins- and making the effort to understand- is just what most people imagine must be going on in Europa now, as the integration of markets now filters down to the wo/man in the street.
Contrast the flat mates unity with the classroom scene where the instructor refuses to teach in Castilian Spanish- in Barcelona they speak Catalunyan. His argument: most of his students are Catalunyan. If you want to speak Spanish, go to Madrid or South America.
Regionalism is still something one will encounter in Europe (esp. Spain), and it is remarkable how strong this is- and it is growing. Is it any surprice people indentify so stongly with their own culture?
But ultimately the film is more than its subtext about how to get along with your (now closer) neighbors.
Like Ted in Whit Stillman's Barcelona, I prefer the text- the beautiful location, the actors enjoying their roles (one or two of them underplay their roles deftly). The struggle of juggling one's romantic life. The focus on it being more important to learn about life and romance and love through experience- more important than learning economics from text books- is exactly how it should be. All while living in a jazzy apartment that never feels too small.
Transport me at once.