Filmography
Jun. 28th, 2007 03:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_lady_lilyAgain, quick snippets to catch up.
Corpse Bride
This is, of course, the Tim Burton follow up to the magnificent The Nightmare Before Christmas. I'm sorry to say that I didn't feel that it was as good as Nightmare, although it opened promisingly - in fact, it continued promisingly too, but never really pulled together all of its potential into something. One or two of the songs felt like re-writes from Nightmare, the animation, although pretty, felt slightly choppier than was comfortable, and generally there were a lot of plot and character development avenues that sat there, invitingly waiting to be explored, while Burton gaily passed them by. So three stars, for being fairly innocuous and having everything turn out all right in the end, but nothing special, alas.
MirrorMask
The Neil Gaiman first attempt at putting a film together. I've not got a photographic recall of the Sandman novels, but G informs me that this is very similar to an episode from them in terms of plot. It's a lovely addition to the genre of fantasy teenage maturation films that really blossomed in the 1980s and was abandoned thereafter (Labyrinth and The Never Ending Story being the two really important ones), and it manages to adds some new dimensions to the questions surrounding growing up in a modern context. A lot of nice plays with the idea of identity, who one really thinks one is, who other people think you are, what your real values are, all that sort of thing. The visuals are beautiful, simply stunning, and worth watching the film for. The dialogue is actually very good at capturing that laugh-out-loud line that you're sure wasn't supposed to be that funny from those 1980s coming-of-age pieces, but without doing it cynically. That's really the film's greatest achievement, that it manages to be a very worthy successor to the genre. That's also its greatest failing - it stays happily within genre lines, and one wishes Gaiman had perhaps tried to push the formulaic bounds of the story a bit more. But it's still a very enjoyable film. Four stars.
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Now, I must say that I didn't like this at all. It's beautifully visually constructed, but I think that's about all I can say for it. This is probably because it's a thriller/murder sort of job that I find very unnerving, especially when you're being shown it from the murderer's side of things. The acting of Jude Law and Matt Damon is very good, although somewhat stylized in the case of Law, and Cate Blanchett and Gwyneth Paltrow aren't bad as supporting aides (although Blanchett does let herself get a bit over-huffed, and although it's in character, it is a bit tiresome). The pace is slightly slow. I remember having the same problem when I read the novel many moons ago - I'm afraid this sort of plotting simply doesn't appear to me, and for that reason, two stars only.
Corpse Bride
This is, of course, the Tim Burton follow up to the magnificent The Nightmare Before Christmas. I'm sorry to say that I didn't feel that it was as good as Nightmare, although it opened promisingly - in fact, it continued promisingly too, but never really pulled together all of its potential into something. One or two of the songs felt like re-writes from Nightmare, the animation, although pretty, felt slightly choppier than was comfortable, and generally there were a lot of plot and character development avenues that sat there, invitingly waiting to be explored, while Burton gaily passed them by. So three stars, for being fairly innocuous and having everything turn out all right in the end, but nothing special, alas.
MirrorMask
The Neil Gaiman first attempt at putting a film together. I've not got a photographic recall of the Sandman novels, but G informs me that this is very similar to an episode from them in terms of plot. It's a lovely addition to the genre of fantasy teenage maturation films that really blossomed in the 1980s and was abandoned thereafter (Labyrinth and The Never Ending Story being the two really important ones), and it manages to adds some new dimensions to the questions surrounding growing up in a modern context. A lot of nice plays with the idea of identity, who one really thinks one is, who other people think you are, what your real values are, all that sort of thing. The visuals are beautiful, simply stunning, and worth watching the film for. The dialogue is actually very good at capturing that laugh-out-loud line that you're sure wasn't supposed to be that funny from those 1980s coming-of-age pieces, but without doing it cynically. That's really the film's greatest achievement, that it manages to be a very worthy successor to the genre. That's also its greatest failing - it stays happily within genre lines, and one wishes Gaiman had perhaps tried to push the formulaic bounds of the story a bit more. But it's still a very enjoyable film. Four stars.
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Now, I must say that I didn't like this at all. It's beautifully visually constructed, but I think that's about all I can say for it. This is probably because it's a thriller/murder sort of job that I find very unnerving, especially when you're being shown it from the murderer's side of things. The acting of Jude Law and Matt Damon is very good, although somewhat stylized in the case of Law, and Cate Blanchett and Gwyneth Paltrow aren't bad as supporting aides (although Blanchett does let herself get a bit over-huffed, and although it's in character, it is a bit tiresome). The pace is slightly slow. I remember having the same problem when I read the novel many moons ago - I'm afraid this sort of plotting simply doesn't appear to me, and for that reason, two stars only.
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no subject
Date: 2007-06-28 09:51 pm (UTC)Ahaha I only managed to get through Talented Mr. Ripley by hiding behind a pillow for parts. And yeah, it's hard to be interested when the protagonist is a) morally bankrupt b) a total cipher to those around him and c) ultimately pretty blank for the viewer as well. I do love the soundtrack, though.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-29 02:58 am (UTC)I think, given the genre, the formulaic nature of MirrorMask was understandable. I'm not quite sure how that genre could be flexed and bent, but I had expected Gaiman to find a way. Ho hum.
I will admit that for the Talented Mr Ripley, I had the fast forward and subtitles on - my way of getting through scenes with unpleasantly large amounts of thriller tension. It was not the sort of film I like, which was a bit of a shame really.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-28 11:35 pm (UTC)Yep, very much like A Game of You. Girl entering own dream-world, world in danger, anti-her destroying it... though a happier ending! As you say, a bit formulaic, but very neat dialogue, something of a knowing air to it, utterly stunning visuals, and some very good acting.
I hadn't realised until seeing the interview on the Special Features just how much Neil Gaiman looks like Morpheus. Only not as slim.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-29 03:00 am (UTC)I think the only reason for my slight disappointment was the sticking to the formula - one felt there was a missed opportunity there. Apart from that, it was great, especially given the age of the main actress - she did a great job of not being a Child Wonder.
I didn't look at the special features, so I shall take your word for it :)