4 posts tagged “reviews”
What's important is just how good this story is. It's the story of the former bass player of the pre-punk superstars 'The New York Dolls'. His downfall, his saving moments and an answered prayer. It's good story telling of a good story. Can't say that enough about docs unfortunately.
And, as a bonus, if you're a Christian, it's doubly poignant, I think.
enjoy.
More to the point, it looks like shit too. Dick Pope knows what he's doing. Much of his period work, like 'Topsy Turvy', was more than fine. Nothing remarkable, but as you may know, that's about as good as it gets in my book. The less you notice, the better, because if you notice it, they're trying to hide something.
And, here, they have a lot to hide.
They start by, weirdly, suggesting that the early life of this farm boy hero, was captured on film. They have a flashback sequence that introduces the main characters and it's 'posted' (effect added after the shooting) to look like an old film, with pulsing back lights, sepia tones, etc. Wha? So, fifteen or so years before this story, in which they 'introduce' the magic of a filmed device as part of a magic trick, there was a documentary crew shooting his life story...
Well, at least it 'matches' all the horrifically bad accents in the story. I'll never understand why American actors, speaking English in a period piece set in Austria speak with vaguely British accents. If they're speaking English, why do they have accents at all? Fuck. What a piece of shit this movie is.
There's some good, capable dolly shots. So, Kudos to that grip. Nice work.
But, the post work is so phoney it's nearly unwatchable. Why do you have dark edges around the frame during the whole movie? Why? Say it with me, You can't paint a piece of shit and call it art.
And the color correction is an overdone, complicated mess. Why would you discolor people's faces? From the chin to the forhead in close-up after close-up, it goes from sepia brown, to grayish, ashen white, to muddy orange to pitch black - on the obviously fake beard.
I've had enough.
Fuck Dick Pope, Fuck Neil Burger, Fuck Ed Norton and Paul Giamatti, may you rot in b-movie hell for your lack of thoughtful role choices after your success in that wine movie.
Sure, it was a nice movie. I have little to add to all that's been said. But, as a gaffer, I was embarrassed. For the grips, especially.
Why? Well. In short, bad gelling. (Gels are what you put on a window to either knock down the light (ND); or to correct the daylight for tungsten-balanced film. If you'd like to know more, shoot me an email wesleydumont 'at' gmail 'dot' com)
Just about every scene where there's a window visible - restaurant, hospital, hotels, you can see the gel on the window outside just floppin' around.
Paul Goodstein, key grip; Paul McIlvaine, gaffer, I'm calling you out. You did a lousy job of letting them roll on that crap and now it's your name up there with that bad gel job for all the world to see.
Thumbs up for the movie, but to the keys I give the finger.
And, as for you Tim Suhrstedt, it's time for you to step up as well. Shoot me a message next time your in NYC and I'll show you a real crew.
FLOG- Really just thoughts for me that I'm sharing. Not to be read as any sort of 'film writing' or criticism.
Bresson does it again. It's a shame that this filmmaker is so well known to critics and scholars and filmschool kids (sometimes) and not to more film story lovers. Anyway, again camera movement that's decades ahead of it's time, tight, complex moves that keep the focus on the hero. Contrasty lighting, big sources. Again, the focus is always on the hero. It's a simple story - a man imprisoned in a German jail plans to escape. What makes this such a good movie is how well Bresson keeps us focused on the story of the escape. It's been done a hundred times since, but here, we never leave his face.
My ability to complete a coherent thought is leaving me. He keeps us focused on the moral dilemmas as well as the physical risks involved. He has us asking "what's going to happen next?" when we know that all he's going to try to do is escape. It's really great minimalist story telling. Writers of all kind would be wise to watch and learn. I'm impressed.
