A Short Critique
Tonight I am here to do what I believe I do best. Analyze films. Since my roommate is the queen of bad taste in movies (I love her but she rented My Super Ex-Girlfriend, The Covenant, and Lady in the Water one after another.) While I didn't happen to catch the first two, I had nothing to do tonight, and as such, decided I would sit through Lady in the Water.
Now the preview for that movie was good. The first preview, where all you saw was Paul Giamatti and the rest was left to your imagination. It's when they started revealing weird dogs and other half-assed mythological creatures that I knew I wouldn't see it in the theatre.
So without giving too much away for whoever is actually gonna want to see it, I will say a few words.
One--it is way too pretentious. Some movies are pretentious and get away with it, mostly historical films like The Passion... because well, it's F-ing JESUS. I don't mind that. I do mind when the pretentiousness has no follow-through. The movie has all these dramatic moments that lead to sub-par plotlines. It's like "ooh oooh what's gonnna happen....oh." It's basically about a Chinese fairy tale that happens to be real. Aaaand that's about it. Oh, except M. Night himself, who decides he wants a meatier role in this one and goes for "supporting actor with lots of close-ups of serious faces" man. Oh and potential martyr man. Pretentious.
Two--Have I mentioned how much I absolutely HATE when movies use self-referencing tactics? It ruins the movie for me if it wasn't previously ruined (it was the main reason I didn't like Ocean's 12.) There is one character in the film who repeatedly talks about how movies are cliched and nothing original comes out of them and then proceeds to discuss his own impending death in movie terms. Ugh. A big time director like M. Night should know that people go to the movies to be brought into the world that they present to us, and that is ESPECIALLY important for a fantasy film like that one. It blew it, big time.
One thing I did like--one of my recent new favorite actors, ever since I drooled over his phenomenal turn in Angels in America, Jeffrey Wright. He is amazing in everything that he does (even his small role in the new Bond movie), and his voice could put me to sleep.
And I realize that I myself am being quite pretentious in critiquing this film, and I know I couldn't have done it better, but that's why I'm not a world famous director.
Bottom line, don't waste your time, if you want mythical creatures see Pan's Labyrinth instead.
Now the preview for that movie was good. The first preview, where all you saw was Paul Giamatti and the rest was left to your imagination. It's when they started revealing weird dogs and other half-assed mythological creatures that I knew I wouldn't see it in the theatre.
So without giving too much away for whoever is actually gonna want to see it, I will say a few words.
One--it is way too pretentious. Some movies are pretentious and get away with it, mostly historical films like The Passion... because well, it's F-ing JESUS. I don't mind that. I do mind when the pretentiousness has no follow-through. The movie has all these dramatic moments that lead to sub-par plotlines. It's like "ooh oooh what's gonnna happen....oh." It's basically about a Chinese fairy tale that happens to be real. Aaaand that's about it. Oh, except M. Night himself, who decides he wants a meatier role in this one and goes for "supporting actor with lots of close-ups of serious faces" man. Oh and potential martyr man. Pretentious.
Two--Have I mentioned how much I absolutely HATE when movies use self-referencing tactics? It ruins the movie for me if it wasn't previously ruined (it was the main reason I didn't like Ocean's 12.) There is one character in the film who repeatedly talks about how movies are cliched and nothing original comes out of them and then proceeds to discuss his own impending death in movie terms. Ugh. A big time director like M. Night should know that people go to the movies to be brought into the world that they present to us, and that is ESPECIALLY important for a fantasy film like that one. It blew it, big time.
One thing I did like--one of my recent new favorite actors, ever since I drooled over his phenomenal turn in Angels in America, Jeffrey Wright. He is amazing in everything that he does (even his small role in the new Bond movie), and his voice could put me to sleep.
And I realize that I myself am being quite pretentious in critiquing this film, and I know I couldn't have done it better, but that's why I'm not a world famous director.
Bottom line, don't waste your time, if you want mythical creatures see Pan's Labyrinth instead.
Comments