Pan's Labyrinth
not at all what I expected. I'm not sure what I expected, but nobody really told me the premise of the plot before. it was more violent and generally disturbing. it was much less about the labyrinth (or more, if the labyrinth is life) and more about the overarching plot. I guess that makes sense, but I just thought it was about a journey through a maze. some of the fantastical effects looked too fantastic, too digital. the ending was incredibly poignant. the music was haunting.
the Pianist
I finally sat down to watch it yesterday evening, in the mindset and ready. it was incredible. I'd built it up to be pretty much the best film ever made, but it had flaws. the editing was a bit choppy, which took brody's incredible performance that made it so real and made you remember that it's a film and he's acting. but there's not much choice when you have to show the passage of time. I think they could have shown his love of music more. I felt it, but that's cause I really do feel it. non-musicians would have missed it, I think, or would not have understood.
the first half was harder to watch than the second - the ghetto, the separation of wladek from his family, the wanton killing. to see everything in life, every bit of sanity, taken away. about midway I took a break to go put my laundry in the dryer. as I walked out of my apartment, I realized that my fingers were tingling, disembodied, and I had to breathe carefully to contain the emotion. the second half was the story of hiding and starvation. you watch brody literally wasting away until his hands are held misshapen, he works his mouth like an old man without teeth, and his spindly stick legs will barely let him walk. straight from unrecognizable baseness to well-dressed, clean-shaven piano playing. how quickly life is taken away and sometimes given back.
when it was over, I went and played chopin for an hour. it was painful.
the Prestige
it was so awesome. I can't stop thinking about it. it's a modern hitchcockian thriller, a work of genius construction. I can't give anything away, but everything came together in the end and not until the end. it was very sad, but very powerful. I could watch it again right now, less than twelve hours later. I seriously cannot describe in words the awesomeness of this movie. go watch it. I'm still trying to get my head around it. know this: obsession will ruin your life.
I have to say, that I was disappointed with The Prestige. It wasn't horrible, but I don't think I would see it again. Have you seen The Illusionist(with Edward Norton)? I thought it was much better, it is one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteThe wikipedia entry for the prestige clarifies it a little more, it talks about the book. I just thought they didn't develope the characters enough. some of it was pretty cool.
ReplyDeletewhich one did you see first? I've heard whichever one people saw first they liked better. when i first walked into the living room where they'd started the movie, i thought it was the illusionist cause i'd never heard of the prestige. anyway, yes, i will add it to the netflix queue.
ReplyDeleteWe saw the Illusionist first. I, too, much prefer the Illusionist, although I don't think the two movies are comparable. It was just an unlucky coincidence that they were release somewhat close together and so now are so often compared.
ReplyDeletePlus, Paul Giamatti is in the Illusionist and he is fantastic.
I loved Pan's Labyrinth. Beautiful, haunting, powerful. Loved it.