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| billyweeds |
 Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 6:39 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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In discussing Gone Girl, I should begin by stating that I am not a big fan of the vaunted director David Fincher. Of his many well-regarded films--including the pretentious cult favorites Fight Club and Se7en and the competent The Social Network--I am only thoroughly enamored of one of them. The great Zodiac is one of the best films of its decade (2000-09) and remains underpraised, underseen, and under-awarded. But Fincher is sometimes (Panic Room) just competent and once in a while--I’m talking to you, Benjamin Button--a lot less than that.
That said, and Fincher’s reputation being what it is, I’m not totally surprised that Gone Girl, while certainly well directed and acted and quite entertaining, is being rather wildly oversold in several circles. People are seeing this expertly crafted murder mystery as a profound statement about marriage, gender politics, and the way we live today. On this point I call total bullshit. Not having read the popular novel on which the movie is based, I can’t say whether those themes were handled more thoroughly on the page, but the evidence on screen doesn’t bear it out. What we have is a mostly riveting study of a psychopath.
The sadomasochistic games this person plays are excellently delineated by the acting of Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, and the well-chosen cast, and the two-and-a-half-hour running time seems at least a half hour shorter. This is a remarkable achievement in itself and I would never gainsay that fact. But my take-away is simply this: lower your expectations. And see Zodiac again. And again. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 9:15 am |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6961
Location: Black Hills
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| Fight Club seemed to start a recurring cycle of overhype of Fincher. Zodiac my favorite, and also liked TSN. The others I loathe in that way you loathe something that had originality and artistry, but crashed on the shoals of its cleverness. I suspect Fincher of being a smartass, which can be a fine thing in an artist...when he has the right material. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 4:03 pm |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9015
Location: Shanghai
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Fight Club was terrific.
Zodiac a snooze.
Social Network fairly good but overlong.
Benji Button rather a bore (also overlong). |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 4:57 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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gromit wrote: Fight Club was terrific.
Zodiac a snooze.
Social Network fairly good but overlong.
Benji Button rather a bore (also overlong).
Let's agree to disagree on most of the above. |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 5:12 pm |
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Billy, I never went to see Fight Club because I was sure I wouldn't like it. I saw Se7en and hated it. But I think I've said that many times. I did like The Social Network very much. Never wanted to see Zodiac because there never was a definite killer. I like things tied up.  |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 5:16 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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marantzo wrote: Billy, I never went to see Fight Club because I was sure I wouldn't like it. I saw Se7en and hated it. But I think I've said that many times. I did like The Social Network very much. Never wanted to see Zodiac because there never was a definite killer. I like things tied up.
Zodiac is a great film which is largely about there being no answer. You really should bite the bullet and watch it. |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 5:22 pm |
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| I'll probably see it some day. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 8:22 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 12929
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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| I thought Gone Girl dragged in places. Nicely twisted, though, and a good cast. I liked Carrie Coon as the sister and Kim Dickens as the detective investigating the cast. Tyler Perry appears as a a high-impact lawyer. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2014 9:16 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
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Location: Black Hills
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| I found it fairly gripping, but I can see where some might try to take home some pot of message about media, marital life, gender politics, etc. Bill is right, just enjoy the bends and turns and the study of a psychopath. The sister was great, and got some great lines, and generally stood out among the supportings. As always, I like the way Fincher works with low light and shadows, and sends us home with something to reflect upon (or rewrite, in our minds). |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 7:12 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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Whiplash is an extraordinarily gripping film which is almost unrelentingly unpleasant. This seems like an impossibility, but wait. The entertainment value of the film--which is considerable--is closely bound up with the emotionally sadomasochistic relationship it explores between a would-be professional drummer and his coach. These characters, played with unforgettable brilliance by (respectively) the masterful young actor Miles Teller (The Spectacular Now, Rabbit Hole) and the star character actor J.K. Simmons (Juno, TV's The Closer, Farmers commercials).
Teller has been a drummer all his life and apparently does most of his mind-blowing drumming himself, and the blood which literally gets left on his drum kit is reportedly his own.
Real blood or not, Teller is a great actor who holds the movie together by dint of his remarkably non-narcissistic ability to create a hero who is sometimes horribly unlikeable. The guy, you see, aches to be a drumming great like Buddy Rich and will stop at almost nothing to achieve his aims. This "nothing" includes taking almost surreal abuse from his teacher, who Simmons imbues with an almost psychotic meanness--and yet makes you understand and (in the weirdest way imaginable) respect the man.
Whiplash leaves you conflicted, disturbed, and exhausted. But wow. Take the plunge. |
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| whiskeypriest |
| Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 10:19 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 6916
Location: "It's a Dry Heat."
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| I'd watch JK Simmons in a swirling bucket of puke. Or Autumn in New York, which is roughly the same thing. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 10:44 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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whiskeypriest wrote: I'd watch JK Simmons in a swirling bucket of puke. Or Autumn in New York, which is roughly the same thing.
LOL. Then you're gonna love Whiplash for sure. His first Oscar nomination is in the cards for Simmons unless I miss my guess. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 4:30 pm |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9015
Location: Shanghai
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Just poking around and Whiplash was based on/developed from the director's short film, also named Whiplash and starring JK Simmons from early 2013. No idea if that is available on Youtube or not. Hopefully will be included on the dvd. Limited info on ImDb -- not even the run time. But it seems the music student played saxophone in the early short version.
The director Damien Chazelle's debut was Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, which had some good minor buzz. But I never caught up to. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 6:29 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| The Good Lie could easily have become a manipulative tearjerker, but thanks to some restraint and some welcome humor, this true-ish story of "The Lost Boys of Sudan," a group of immigrants from the war-torn region who settle in America in the 1980s, is legitimately moving when it wants to be and warmly funny a lot of the time. The leading roles are all played by non-actors who were either immigrants themselves or related to immigrants, and their heartfelt acting is genuine and (when called for) nuanced and skilled. They are given big assists by Reese Witherspoon and Corey Stoll in supporting roles as helpful Yanks. This is a movie you will not regret seeing even though you may at first resist its uplifting, feel-good pull. It's a ONE-hankie movie, if that means anything to you. |
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| Befade |
| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 11:32 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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I read Gone Girl about a year ago and haven't seen the movie yet.
It was a book that knocked the wind out of me. Very cleverly written with an ending that made me feel like I was falling into a dark, dark hole.
The author has 2 other books, which I will have to build up the stamina to dare to read....if I ever do.
For a dark tale it sure has been on the best seller list a long time. |
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