The Watercooler: 9/1/08
The extended weekend has been a fairly quiet one around the LiC head offices. There just isn’t a lot in theaters I haven’t already seen. Nevertheless, I just got back from the Czech film I Served the King of England. Famed Czech New Wave director Jirí Menzel (Closely Watched Trains) returns to the screen for the first time in over a decade with a blackly comic adaptation of a book by Bohumil Hrabal. Beginning in Prague in the decedent years before World War II, it’s sort of fool’s-eye view of history. In this case, the fool is Jan Dite, a hotel waiter who’s only dream is getting rich.
The film starts off in a carefree, whimsical manner that slowly gives way to a creeping darkness as Prague is overrun first by Nazis and then by Communists. It’s against this background that Dite charts his rise and fall.
Amusing and sexy yet strangely haunting, I Served the King of England is worth checking out.
I may catch a movie or two on my day off today, but that’s all I have for now. How about you?
Filed under: Watercooler
Tags: I Served the King of England, Jiri Menzel
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I saw four films in the theatre, all over the past two days. The first film last night was the very Jiri Menzel film that Craig rightly promotes in his LIC recap. Menzel, who directed the masterwork CLOSELY WATCHED TRAINS, is surely the greatest living Czech director, and his new film is indeed haunting as well as original, sexy and slyly ironic. My roundup is as follows:
Hamlet 2 ** (Saturday night)
Year of the Fish *** 1/2 (Sat. night,, midnight show)
I Served the King of King of England **** (Sun. night)
Sukiyaki Western Django ** 1/2 (Sun. night midnight)
HAMLET 2 was like a number of the recent comedies, an uneven and meandering effort, a messy screenplay and forgettable as soon as you depart the theatre. YEAR OF THE FISH was rather a pleasant surprise, an endearing rotoscope animated feature by David Kaplan set in Chinatown as composed with engaging images and a wonderful, if redundant piano-laden score that you hum in the car all the way home. SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO was helmed by Takashi Miike, who is best-known as the director of AUDITION, and this updated spaghetti western is all over the place, but has some glorious set pieces.
Still catching up on recent releases myself, but I did squeeze in quite a bit during two days.
In Search of a Midnight Kiss was a little rough around the edges, but I liked the low budget indie nature of it and the two main characters had their moments. If you’re tired of all the big budget Hollywood silliness and you’ve got a hopeless romantic in you looking for satisfaction, this tiny black and white film might be what you’re looking for.
Elegy had solid performances and nice cinematography but ultimately didn’t work very well for me. The Penelope Cruz character felt like an older man’s fantasy of a younger woman, not real to me at all, and I thought the third act of the film was just too contrived. Sure looked pretty and Patricia Clarkson had some nice scenes.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona was a nice, lightweight change of pace from Elegy’s darkness and I sure appreciated that. Bardem and Cruz are both excellent, Hall steals all the scenes she can from Johansson but even Scarlet is enjoyable in this film. Really didn’t care for the narration much but it paid off for some laughs a couple times and probably shortened this movie by about 20 minutes of exposition, so its all good.
Penelope Cruz in two movies back to back makes for a great Saturday afternoon.
On DVD I watched My Brother is an Only Child, which was an interesting movie from Italy held together by some good performances. The historical narrative didn’t completely hold my interest, but the characters were good (The Best of Youth covers this same territory much better, albeit in more depth and length). Not exactly what I expected but good none the less.
Finally, we revisited Contact, which reminded me that Robert Zemeckis was once a director who made movies I really liked. I forgot how much I enjoyed this film and how good Jodie Foster is in it, but I was shocked to discover that yes, Matthew McConaughey is capable of something other than throwaway romantic comedies. Completely slipped my recollection. Tom Skerrit, on the other hand, has always been annoying.
Odd, but I must say that I agree with Joel on all three positions he took in the above e mail, excluding the position he took in the final paragraph. I definitely thought IN SEARCH OF A MIDNIGHT KISS was engaging and a relief from multiplex fodder, ELEGY did not work for me either, in part for the reasons Joel poses, and THE BEST OF YOUTH was much stronger than the Italian feature, MY BROTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD.
I liked CONTACT less, but it has held up for many.
Sam how was the animation in Fish? As I said elsewhere, at times in the trailer it just looks like poorly compressed video.
Joel, McConaughey might surprise you in Tropic Thunder as well if you ever see it.
As you know, Elegy worked for me up to a point…and better than it did for Sam…but still I have reservations. The performances were enough to carry it for me.
Friday, I saw Red, and then reviewed it the next day. I liked the film rather well, honestly, and while I can understand people going after the film’s limited aesthetic, and perhaps the familiarity of its final act… I think it was a rather sturdy film anchored by Brian Cox’s strong performance.
Saturday, I watched the 1956 film Nightmare with Edward G. Robinson. It was a decent, a “different kind of noir,” with possibly supernatural elements in play.
Sunday, I spent mostly in the woods just a few miles away here, but I did see Wild is the Wind, the George Cukor melodrama starring Anthony Quinn and Anna Magnani. Cukor’s handling of the actors is largely successful, but somehow the film doesn’t linger in one’s thoughts much.
I feel guilty not seeing more films, somehow, but I plan on making up for it soon.
You saw more than I have in the last 2 weekend Alexander. And this is a good time of year to take it easy.
Ah, you speak the truth, Craig.
Joel, double-dipping with Penelope Cruz sounds like a great weekend to me.
I’ll see Elegy Wednesday finally…
Craig: The concensus on FISH seems to be evenly divided, yet in this case I am with the lot of those impressed. The animation is nothing remarkable, but it is employed in the service of an endearing story that admittedly may not resonate with the youngest kids, but crosses over into adult territory like SPIRITED AWAY or PRINCESS MONONOKE, but it is of course a far simpler film in scope. The set design is striking and the piano score is absolutely beautiful, with a sublime central theme.
I’ll keep an eye for it if/when it hits LA, Sam.
I, too, caught Hamlet 2 this weekend. Sam, I’m pretty much in agreement with your comments — I wanted to like this film more than I did, but despite its many failures there were bits and pieces of accomplishment here and there.
Regarding VCB, this film is more than it seems to be and tugs at the hem of greatness as it provides its entertainment. Anyone interested in deeper analysis could always visit the long thread that has evolved from Craig’s review.
Last night, home sick with a bad cold, I caught what I consider to be Spencer Tracy’s best acting — Man’s Castle (1933), directed by Frank Borzage, a Depression-era drama. Really an excellent film that Tracy considered one of his best. I think he surpasses his work in the more widely known Fury (1936), which also was Fritz Lang’s debut in Hollywood.
I recorded Man’s Castle off of TCM last night, Pierre. I can’t wait to see it, as it’s one of the very last Borzage and Tracy films I have to see. I’ve been looking for it for a long time, and when I saw a couple months back that TCM was showing it, I was overjoyed. Thanks for the recommendation!
Alexander — Tracy’s direct connection to his Man’s Castle character is disarming — quite incredible and powerful. His performance is a prime example of the bad/good guy and is so very representative of prominent psychosocial phenomena of the Depression era, something that has evolved even to the present day.
Even Loretta Young is good, as are supporting players such as Marjorie Rambeau. The screenplay I find superlative in its spareness. To me, the best writing doesn’t say its point, it illustrates it. And the visual imagery on the film’s simple sets is astounding.
I saw nothing, I could catch the Elegy press screening on Wednesday, but I got school! Yay for me.
I’m glad you enjoyed “I Served the King of England” Craig and Sam. I did too.
True what you say there Pierre with HAMLET 2–there were some funny bits sprinkled throughout the generally ineffective whole.
Pierre, you have me now jonesing to see Man’s Castle. I must see it sometime before I go to bed this evening!
sam is the trailer for hamlet 2 better than the movie ???
joel midnight kiss seems really ok the way you slant it.but there’s no chance of it playing in ‘rock out’ town….
and joel i did like elegy. ‘Cruz character felt like an older man’s fantasy of a younger woman, not real to me at all’
funny you mention the not real thing. it seems any movie i like this year has some sort of unreality to it/seem slighly unreal/not holding the whatever for ultras realism…
let’s see anyone one else say ?? even want to say it ??? do i even want to say that ???
so joel since i like elegy i guess it has to have some unrealistic slant to it ?????
and yeah i prefered elegy more than vicky cb. i swear dialogue in elegy works better.that the real star of the movie that and cellphones. yes i want to keep my chain(reaction) of insane views that only i have alive. the feelings so alive !!! :)
I finally caught up with Tropic Thunder and Man on Wire, interspersed with some old MST3K episodes.
Tropic Thunder was funny and I enjoyed how gory and fierce it was, although it also had a feeling of being cut to the bone, feeling like character scenes had been dropped in order to emphasize scenes that moved the plot forward, which ultimately made it feel a little thin.
Man on Wire, however, was really delightful, a fun, energetic, suspenseful, one-of-a-kind movie.
Meanwhile, Robot Monster stands as one of the goofiest movies of the ’50s.
I saw Vicky Cristina Barcelona with the husband last night at a theater about an hour and a half away. We really enjoyed it, which is good since that (and getting to a Target) was the point of our mini-trip. We split on how well the voiceover works; I thought it added something, husband was a little less sure of it. Overall, though, it was one of my favorites so far this year. Though, honestly, so far that’s not saying too much.
We also watched Nanking, as I previously raved about, and watched the wonderfully weird John Farrow noir His Kind of Woman. It’s such a bipolar little flick, part classic thriller, part Vincent Price-fueled comedy romp. Jane Russell was gorgeous and charming as ever and Mitchum was still his tall, oddly smouldering self. Loved the sets and Russell’s dresses, especially.
Also watched Ocean’s 11 on TV. It held up pretty well, even with the commercials. Probably due to the many bothersome interruptions, the pace didn’t seem as quick nor the comedy quite as infectious, but I appreciated Soderbergh’s camera work more this time round, and it was still a pleasant little caper.
Glad you liked Man on Wire, joel. More evidence that I should see it again sometime.
Happy Labor Day, everyone! And if anyone has friends or family down in Gustav territory, hope all are safe.
I didn’t watch any movies this weekend, due to a BBQ on Friday, my own graduation party on Saturday, and a romantic dinner on Sunday, but I DID see Entre Les Murs, this year’s Palme D’Or winner, this week, and it left me very much impressed. It really is just a year in the life of one class of 13-15 year-olds in the 20th arrondissement, but it’s absolutely fascinating from beginning to end.
I really can’t wait to see VCB, but it’s not coming out til December here, and I haven’t seen any early press screening dates. Oddly enough, I Served the King of England came out here last November already - I really don’t get distributors. It passed me by completely, of course, since I hadn’t read anything about it here or elsewhere.
I agree with Sam and Joel on both Elegy and My Brother is an Only Child. The review of Elegy in my faithful morning paper had the marvelous headline “Sex to Beethoven and other clichés”, and while I gave it half a star more than they did, I wasn’t impressed. As I said in my filmtotaal review, I was mostly disappointed that the female director didn’t do more with Roth: a feminist take on one of his works and one of his notoriously sexist protagonists would have been fascinating. As for My Brother, I found it entertaining and very likeable, but it faded rather quickly.
Also, just because I love making you guys jealous (though it’s not entirely sure yet): next Thursday, 10:30. Me. Burn After Reading.
Finally, in “other announcements”: I’ve finally given myself a firm kick in the pants, and the fruitstand is back in business. My apologies for the neglect, and I hope to see some of you there!
Hedwig, I’m jealous.
And Jennybee, although I did like Man on Wire quite a bit, I think you meant Jeff, not me. Glad to hear it has more admirers amongst the LIC faithful.
I caught Elegy at the theater this weekend, which I thought was okay. The cast was excellent. Great acting all around.
Other than that it was TCM. They had Marlon Brando night on Friday. I watched On the Waterfront. What can be said about that film that hasn’t already been said?
On Saturday we saw the wonderful Tracy/Hepburn classic Woman of the Year, followed by The African Queen.
I also watched an odd Brazilian film from Netflix called Amarelo Mango (Mango Yellow). It was a low-budget film with a meandering storyline about different characters’ lives that intersect in different ways. The film was interesting but I’ve seen much better films from Brazil.
Happy Labor Day, everyone.
Nicky, school sucks f” ing massive marbles.
The good news? It’s over for you. Very, VERY soon.
Pierre, feel better. Drink lots of fluids.
If you lived near me, I’d bring you some cheesecake.
As I mentioned on the VCB thread, I saw it again today and I followed it up with sneak-ins of Traitor and Hamlet 2. The former was even better the 2nd time. I don’t have the energy to argue the merits of the narration, but it worked for me and yes I think it added a layer. Plus it was frequently amusing. Not gut bustingly so, but in a chuckling kind of way.
As for the latter, they were both better than I expected though that isn’t saying much. It’s saying something though.
Alison, OTW isn’t my favorite Brando movie, but it’s got great moments. I’m more of a Streetcar kinda guy.
Glad you liked Elegy a little bit. I agree about the performances. they were the highlight for me.
Glimmer, I know why you liked Elegy better, but I’m not saying anything.
Pleased you liked VCB JB.
Nick, did you do a proper review of King? I’ll be over to read it soon if you did.
Hedwig, that’s awesome you get to see Burn. I had to avoid the trailer THREE TIMES today. Very annoying.
well craig just keep it a secret. ha ha…
i really don’t care if you mention whatever here..say it whenever…i really feel i can’t be embarrassed especially since i’m admitting i like this film.and since i’l already such an obvious embarrassment. :)
and you know craig nothing anyone mentioning is is well elegy had several and that’s several and that’s several laugh for for several seconds bits.
why isn’t mentioning this ??? well, maybe i was the only one that laughed… :)
yeah whatever get’s said about elegy it/goes cuz/kingsley blah blah but again i loved the dialogue.seems so much focus on the actors/the romance/the age differencce. i loved the words. yeah i’m taking another unpopular stance. yeah…
craig…did you know i don’t have a cell phone ?? i don’t.
anyway craig i also i liked hamlet 2. really but more on that later. i guess. (yeah i just saw this monday)
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS at the Hollywood Forever cemetary under spotlights, stars, choppers and…hmmm.
Awesome.
No Craig, I didn’t. Well, I did, but it’s gone, and I am not writing another one unless I see it again or something coz’ I’m sad.
Don’t be sad, my sweet baboo. Cheer up…
Christmas is coming, Nicky…
that’s right…it was one of your lost ones. Man I hate that. I still sting over my lost ones. It’s like the old story of the soldier who loses a leg and wakes up in the middle of the night with an itch, but no leg to scratch…
Watched Encounters at the End of the World last night. It has little to offer viewers unfamiliar with Herzog and his quirks, as they are the real attractions to the film. His underwater footage is pretty, but Planet Earth hold more gorgeous imagery in it’s left fingernail than Encounters does in its entire hand.
Also, I’m seeing Burn After Reading tomorrow morning. You had better ban my IP address tomorrow Craig, cause I’m going to make moderating the comments section a living hell. Muahahahahahahaha!
(runs away gleefully cackling)
You dog, Evan.
Bad enough I had to dodge the friggin trailer all weekend!
No! Not another one! I just found out that Jerry Reed died. :(
JERRY REED. NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh man, another piece of my childhood is gone.
RIP Snowman.
RIP Cletus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnRwQjTYfGI&feature=related
I saw nothing this weekend, as I was (am) moving and had to dodge anarchists. Just kidding about the second part. I’m avoiding downtown St. Paul while everyone else is flocking to it.
Has no one seen Transsiberian yet? Just curious, and I was reminded by jennybee’s mention of Nanking that Woody Harrelson has done some fairly interesting work lately.
I have to say I’m a little surprised that you are positive on Traitor, Craig. Also that you didn’t find the underwater scene in Encounters more amazing, Evan.
I still need to write something on Elegy, besides it being the most depressing movie of the year, content-wise.
Looking forward to King of England in a couple of weeks and Boy A this weekend.
Love the mention of Contact, Joel. My brother and I were just talking about it last night. Soon to be featured as an underrated over at my place I think.
Happy belated Labor Day, all. The real movie season is upon us!
I plan on seeing Elegy and Transsiberian later this week, Daniel.
Watch out for the anarchists–and a lot of those riot police guys.
Taking what feels like 30 units worth of classes at college, as well as a special TV American history course, reading, working, watching the DNC and RNC Conventions (the Ron Paul stuff is more fun on C-SPAN 2), real life… It’s all a conspiracy against my movie-watching and blogging.
Boy A is very worthwhile, Daniel, but kind of depressing.
Hmm, a depression faceoff between Boy A and Elegy!
I didn’t make it to the bargain theater for Transsiberian Daniel. Hopefully it hasn’t left yet.
I was surprised I liked Traitor too. The power of lowered expectations. I mean, I wasn’t crazy about it, but 3 stars sounds about right.
Boy A was indeed a bit of a downer, but it left me thoughtful rather than glum.
If you don’t see Transsiberian until it hits DVD, you won’t miss much.
Depressing was absolutely the wrong word to describe Boy A. I was in a funk this afternoon having to read about 120 pages of fairly dry material. Strike that comment from the record.
I actually contend that Boy A is not truly depressing, but it’s not exactly Iron Man, either. I think it’s one of the better films of the year.
Sorry to hear that, Jeff. Dialing expectations down just a little…
Daniel, I would have been more impressed if I hadn’t watched Planet Earth 30 times already. Herzog’s imagery is gorgeous, but it really doesn’t have anything on BBC’s epic masterwork, where every 10 seconds t here is another jaw-dropping shot of something you’ve never seen before. Have you seen Planet Earth, yet? If not, I would recommend that you ONLY watch it when you can see it in HD. Anything else is extremely subpar.
Ouch, Jeff! Well, I’m still curious. I don’t think I liked it as much as you dismissed it, but I definitely fall on the positive side of things.
Yes, there is certainly no contest, Evan. For me, Encounters was strongest in the moments when the images were backed by the creepy music.
I personally agree with Jeff McMahon on TRANSSIBERIAN, which completely fell apart at the midway point, but I know a number of others has embraced its atmospherics and good performances,. But whether you like it or not, I just read an excellent review of the film by Luke Harrington over at Movie Zeal.
BOY A is depressing, but that means little–fact is it’s largely a provocative and masterful film.
I reviewed TRANSSIBERIAN a couple of weeks ago and quite enjoyed it. It’s not a great film but it does earn its Hitchcockian label. It’s a pretty solid, effective thriller.
http://fromthefrontrow.blogspot.com/2008/08/review-transsiberian.html
There does seem to be quite a bit of praise rolling in for a film that is playing here in NYC in the Film Forum called THE POOL, directed by Chris Smith, who previously helmed AMERICAN MOVIE and THE YES MEN. It’s an Indian-cultured film in the neo-realist tradition and it’s in both English and Hindi. Stanley Kauffmann has issued effusive praise for it.
I dare say I am tempted to see the 10:00 P.M. show tonite. A question and answer session will follow tomorrow’s 8:00 performance, but I can’t make that. Not sure if Craig has mentioned this, but he must have.
It’ll be in tomorrow’s weekend forecast Sam….even though it opens today. Goddamn Wednesday openings….
So I saw Burn After Reading. Ok, no worries, I won’t relate any specifics. :)
I will say that it is pure Coen, but that is to be expected. Not much of a comedy - I haven’t seen any of the trailers yet, but I’m guessing that they’re pretty misleading. And people who are only familiar with the Coens through No Country are going to be pissed. The Coens, as always, are not interested in hitting any of the expected plot beats.
In tone and execution, this is closest to Fargo. I think that is a good thing, but I’m not sure yet. I’ll need a while to stew on it.
Cruel and unusual, Evan.
Oh well, just nine more days…
“people who are only familiar with the Coens through No Country are going to be pissed” Sounds like Fargo to Lebowski all over again.
I have to say, every time I unplugged my ears after the trailer played this weekend, the audience was silent. They laughed their asses off at the Vault Energy Drink commercial every time, but nothing for the Coens.
I’m so in the tank for those guys though, I’m sure to like it at least a little bit. It’s only a matter of how it ultimately stacks up to their other films.
I have a ticket to see it a couple of days early at The Aero, but it looks like I’m not going to be able to make it.
I have little doubt that you’ll like it, Craig. As was readily apparent from MZ’s Coens month, I’m not the biggest Coen fan, but even I liked Burn After Reading. At the very least, this is good Coen, not Ladykiller’s Coen. No need to fear that.
If you love spending time with the quirky character that the Coens must have sold their souls to Satan to be able to create, then you’ll dig Burn. That is exactly what it is, and they’ve assembled an amazing ensemble cast. Ignore the marketing (which you’ve already been doing) and get ready for a good, wholesome dose of Coen-ness.
For me, it’s almost always about the dialogue. I could listen to their characters talk for days.
Am I the only one who actually enjoyed THE LADYKILLERS and found INTOLERABLE CRUELTY moderately entertaining?
Yeah, Evan, if you liked it then that’s good news for me. :-)
No Matthew. Neither is my favorite Coen, but they both had their bright spots in my opinion. My biggest issue with IC is that it seemed a little too slick…like some of the Coen rough edges had been rubbed off and the scenes that were 100% pure Coen didn’t quite fit.
Still. The demise of Wheezy Joe makes me laugh out loud every time and Clooney gives one of the best spit-takes. Ever.
I just watched the trailer for the first time. People are going to be really, really angry. In the trailer, scenes looked funny that were taken out of context, but within the framework of the film they aren’t funny at all. Or at least I didn’t find them funny. Yikes. Good job, marketing department.
On the positive side, kudos to them for using an Elbow song in the trailer. That was pretty awesome.
That tends to happen with every Coen Brothers movie. It’s a (small) part of the reason I decided to stop looking at any of the trailers or ads whatsoever for their films whatsoever, then extended that to other films as well.
They defy simple classification, so the trailers are a poor pastiche of random stuff because the marketing stooges have no idea how to sell it. I kinda feel sorry for them…in this case.
Craig, yep - that was my favorite scene in the whole film.
In fact it’s the only one I remember because I haven’t seen it since it came out in theaters.
LADYKILLERS on the other hand I have seen several times - J.K. Simmons’ character gets me every time. Who knew IBS could be so funny?
That and I think “get your fingers out of my man’s nose” is a great line.
You’re right, neither is the Coens’ best, but I think they are unfairly maligned.
Sorry to sound like a broken record here, I’m know I make this statement at least once a month, but deep down inside I fear no one ever really listens to me so I’m prone to repeating myself: Trailers are a lie designed to sell a movie to a mass audience and they’re best avoided if you’re already interested in a movie. They should always be taken with a grain of salt. The most successful tend to be teaser trailers that just give you a little taste.
as for Ladykillers, the IBS thing didn’t tickle me too much, but I liked JK Simmons character otherwise. I thought Tom Hanks gave one of his more interesting and entertaining and out-there performances in a long time. The Vietnamese guy was funny. Wayans…not so much. It didn’t improve on the original, but it had its moments.
True that about trailers Craig.
The most truthful, accurate trailer I’ve seen all year? Death Race. For whatever that’s worth.
The end of Wheezy Joe is the funniest thing in Intolerable Cruelty, for sure, but it feels like it’s coming from a completely different movie than the one we’ve been watching for 100-odd minutes.
“We must all have waffles! We must all have waffles forthwith!”
That’s my favorite Ladykillers line. It just makes me giggle. I’ve always wanted to go into an IHOP and say that. I’m even giggling now.
In complete agreement about Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty, Matthew. And actually, had they been made by a different director (with the same result), I think Ladykillers at least might have become something of a cult hit, an interesting oddity rather than an entry into the Coen ouvre that pales in comparison to some of their other works.
There are no other filmmakers working that give me the post-screening giggles like the Coens. I just have to think of a line for whatever reason sitting here at my desk and it’ll make me laugh.
Jeff, that’s sort of what I was getting at before with IC where there are moments of 100% Coen-ness that don’t quite jibe with the rest of the movie. I’ve always attributed it to the fact it wasn’t originally supposed to be their movie.
“I’ll need a while to stew on [Burn After Reading].”
Evan, I just saw this film, and your comments are right on.
Thanks Pierre, although everything I know about the Coens I learned from Craig Kennedy.
I’d love to descend into a discussion of the film with you, but I’m guessing that would be 1) unfair to everyone else and 2) needlessly cruel.
A big, belated thank you to Pierre for his recommendation of A Man’s Castle, which I did see later that same evening. It was terrific!
Evan and Pierre. Feel free to have at it. Those who haven’t seen it can tune out or read carefully. Just do your best to provide spoiler warnings.
J.K.Simmons is absolutely amazing in Burn After Reading, even if he has only two scenes.
I liked it a lot, though I admit I didn’t laugh as much as I thought I would. I have a strong suspicion, though, that this film is going to grow on me, because the characters are great as always, and the dialogue is simply amazing. They have such a good ear for it, and John Malkovich and Brad Pitt both have a blast delivering it.
Yeah! Dialogue! That’s all I need to hear.
If I can infer from what Evan has said, he also assumed it would be more laugh out loud funny…as the trailer leads you to believe supposedly.
Sometimes with me, the comedy grows on me and it takes the form of repeatable dialogue.
The first time I saw Raising Arizona, I was caught up in the slapstick zaniness, but over time it’s endlessly quotable dialogue that gets me and makes me laugh even by myself.
I really would filter it through the lens of Fargo. I don’t think it will become quotable in the same way that The Big Lebowski and Raising Arizona are quotable. But it could be quotable like Fargo is - there are some choice lines (almost all of them from Marge Gunderson) but it is the characters who ultimately reside in one’s memory, not the lines.
Oh, and I actually had zero expectations Craig, since I had stayed away from every piece of marketing. I went in with as virgin a pair of eyes as possible. It was only afterwards when I watched the trailer that I realized how misleading it was.
Right, I didn’t mean to imply that you were somehow disappointed.
Fargo is chock full of greatness. “I need unguent” and “we go to pancakes house” instantly spring to mind. Out of context, they’re meaningless, but they’re making me laugh out loud right now.
I didn’t watch the trailer either, so I knew almost nothing going in. But I guess that subconsciously I was hoping for another Big Lebowski. That, it is not. But it might not be an appropriate yardstick.
Having not seen the trailer myself, I was sort of assuming comedy as well. There is precedent for it.
Is it fair to say that if they took the artistic high road with No Country, that Burn is more of the low road? Not low in a bad way, but broader and less refined.
“It’s my deal, Wade!” (sorry)
Jerry: “The heck do ya mean?”
Carl: “The heckya mean?”
haha. See?
Ok, ok, points taken. :) But still….
“The dude abides.”
“No, Donny, these men are nihilists. There’s nothing to be afraid of. ”
“Oh, the usual. I bowl. Drive around. The occasional acid flashback.”
“Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o’clock this afternoon… with nail polish.”
“We’re talking about unchecked aggression here, dude.”
“We believe in nothing, Lebowski. Nothing. And tomorrow we come back and we cut off your chonson.”
Fargo just can’t compete with all of that. :)
Ah, but you forget that pronunciation is key. “We believe in nothing” would only be mildly amusing. “We believe in nussing” makes it brilliant.
My favorite line? The one that precedes “Don’t be fatuous, Jeffrey” ;-)
“Say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude - at least it’s an ethos.”
***** SPOILERS ***** BURN AFTER READING ***** SPOILERS *****
The way I phrased it in another, private conversation, while No Country for Old Men was the Coens inhaling, Burn After Reading is their exhale. I dunno if that makes sense to anyone, and I don’t mean to imply that Joel & Ethan got sloppy. What I do mean is that, although the Coens may (or may not) have been cut-ups on the NCfOM set, a certain freewheeling tone makes it to the screen in BAR. David Letterman described BAR as a comedy of errors — that’s a good and quick summation.
John Malkovich, being interviewed by Letterman, describes his (and others’) character as people — individuals of questionable quality. Nearly everyone is involved in bad behavior: Clooney is a married, compulsive, bed-hopping two-timer in need of strong psychotropic meds. McDormand is a not-so-smart middle-aged gym employee driven to cosmetic surgery by society’s emphasis on youth and bolstered by simplistic New Age one-liners about living “positive” — the bureaucratic, monolithic nature of the health insurance industry, for example, is something we certainly can identify with, but her character becomes ridiculously blinded to anyone’s needs but hers, yet somehow we still have empathy for her. Pitt pulls out the stops to play an aging, narcissistic, valley-boy gym bunny — sometimes he comes too close to overplaying it but you have to admire his efforts. Swinton’s character — big bad bitch that she is — somehow makes you appreciate her bitchiness.
Richard Jenkins, as the gym manager, is the lone voice of sanity and restraint in this zany brew, playing a sort of everyman for whom we can feel empathy and warmth — and he gets off some one-liners that to me are scene-stealing throwaways. He’s the “do the right thing, play it safe and play the game” guy who betrays his better judgment out of love — a brilliant performance.
In between all the zaniness, the Coens toss in a whole lot of throwaway but priceless commentary on contemporary culture.
One reservation I have is that, unless you’re a Coens fan, the first chunk of the movie (the set-up) feels like it plods too much before the story takes off and the fun really gets going. Along these lines, the final scenes seem to wrap up too quickly, cramming a lot of the story’s resolutions into expository dialogue. As a viewer I’d like to have seen some of the story played out onscreen rather than described by other characters. I’m not yet prepared to dismiss the Coens’ choice, however, in concluding in this way.
And I have to say, the opening shot grabs you into the film like nobody’s business.
This is one film I’m anxious to see a second time, and soon.
I read your last sentence and it made me happy
Phew! Craig, I’m glad you didn’t inadvertently read any of the spoilers. I’d intended to lace the bottom of my comment with spoiler warnings, but then my neighbor dropped by, we lit up . . . well, one can imagine the rest.
Your artfully applied opening spoiler warnings saved me.