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A blog for online film critics to talk about movies and review writing. Anyone with a movie review blog or website is welcome to join, post links to their writing, and write movie-related posts. Those interested in participating should e-mail David at DavidSwindle_AT_gmail.com for an invitation.
5 comments:
Hey David. Sweet review. I gave the filma B+, simply because I felt the plot was muddled a little bit by too many characters near the end and the ending itself was a bit abrupt. That said, I was so pleased with this one. As it says in my review, it is like Woody on vacation in terms of style and tone. Very relaxed but still has the Woody intellectualism and neurosis present in the dialogue. I liked your point about Bardem - he is as passionate as a painter and lover as he is commited to being a sociaopath in No Country. The only point I would challenge in your review is your assertion that Woody is ultiamtely a pessimist. It is my belief that he is ultimately hopeful as he continues to explore and inquire rather than resign himself to defeat.
I just think if you look at his films they present a fairly dim view of human nature. Infidelity is such a central theme of virtually all of his films and he tends to present characters that are perpetually unsatisfied with their lives. Vicky Cristina is ultimately a tragic film because it recognizes romance as an illusion. As Allen presents it your options in life are to either be a serial monogamist like Cristina, going from relationship to relationship, never being satisfied OR just settle on a single relationship and be unsatisfied and forever tempted like Vicky is.
And if you look at Allen's darker films like "Match Point" he shows in Dostoeyevsky fashion how ordinary people can easily slip into great evils like murder.
There's no denying Allen's cynicism and I do believe he has little faith in humanity as well but I feel a hope for good underneath his work that leads me to believe that he is a reluctant pessimist.
"Reluctant pessimist." I like that, Joseph. That is a really good description of Allen. His films have a pessimistic, cynical quality to them but they're still very much alive. "Vicky Cristina" is a sad film but it's a very lively one. Allen may be pessimistic about life but he can still be excited about living it. Good observation.
Me and Woody, we're like this. I'm not sure how to demonstrate in virtual print that my fingers are crossed.
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