I was excited by the cast and concept, but I have to say I found it disappointing. On one level it achieves what it sets out to be, a very subversive film in this age of the self-help book, asking what deeper thing are we all searching for, is happiness family, is it career, is it a loving relationship, with each turned upside down, and taking digs at platitudes along the way.
But the combination of the idealised inauthentic world (with cheesy music at every turn to remind us that this is also a satire of commercials and Hollywood's representation of happiness) with for me quite flat characters, is too alienating. And there have been so many great films about the struggle of happiness, I don't think this was particularly illuminating. This also touches at my problem with dramedies in general, they lack drama and comedy.
Flat characters :chin: I really connected with them and felt for them myself. But then again PSH in this movie is basically ME so that's probably why :nervous: But it's also a taste thing perhaps, I am liable to enjoy films like this one where it's a really unflinching fly-on-the-wall observational take on characters' daily lives and routines, and the camera stays there watching them way past the point where the scene has become uncomfortable... I do think it's very well acted and written, and finds an almost impossible balance between such extreme subject matter and such tone quite skilfully. Having said that I'm eager to watch it again tomorrow to see how it stands up to a 2nd viewing.
Good point on the trickiness of the balance and this voyeuristic quality. I will say in praise of the film, that the scene which had a lot of emotional depth and worked for me was that dialogue between the paedo and his son at the end, that really gave a glimpse of his internal world and struggle, which in turn provokes some interesting questions.
And though other than that I didn't connect with it, in terms of Hoffman Week, it is a film that showcases his willingness to take on difficult roles and give the characters he took on humanity. RIP PSH :bow:
I was excited by the cast and concept, but I have to say I found it disappointing. On one level it achieves what it sets out to be, a very subversive film in this age of the self-help book, asking what deeper thing are we all searching for, is happiness family, is it career, is it a loving relationship, with each turned upside down, and taking digs at platitudes along the way.
ReplyDeleteBut the combination of the idealised inauthentic world (with cheesy music at every turn to remind us that this is also a satire of commercials and Hollywood's representation of happiness) with for me quite flat characters, is too alienating. And there have been so many great films about the struggle of happiness, I don't think this was particularly illuminating. This also touches at my problem with dramedies in general, they lack drama and comedy.
Flat characters :chin: I really connected with them and felt for them myself. But then again PSH in this movie is basically ME so that's probably why :nervous:
ReplyDeleteBut it's also a taste thing perhaps, I am liable to enjoy films like this one where it's a really unflinching fly-on-the-wall observational take on characters' daily lives and routines, and the camera stays there watching them way past the point where the scene has become uncomfortable... I do think it's very well acted and written, and finds an almost impossible balance between such extreme subject matter and such tone quite skilfully. Having said that I'm eager to watch it again tomorrow to see how it stands up to a 2nd viewing.
Good point on the trickiness of the balance and this voyeuristic quality. I will say in praise of the film, that the scene which had a lot of emotional depth and worked for me was that dialogue between the paedo and his son at the end, that really gave a glimpse of his internal world and struggle, which in turn provokes some interesting questions.
ReplyDeleteAnd though other than that I didn't connect with it, in terms of Hoffman Week, it is a film that showcases his willingness to take on difficult roles and give the characters he took on humanity. RIP PSH :bow: