Touching moments are not always elegantly refined.
Someone was listening to that song from the end of Juno - the one where they sit and sing to each other - and I began to remember more about the film and my initial impressions. (I would recommend this movie because the entire thing is very laid back and unpretentious. I love that the people and characters do not try and assume a grand significance: it's a story about people, who happen to be very simple creatures - albeit quite smooth with their snarky comebacks, and it's a nice piece of warm-and-fuzzy-even-though-the-situation-is-somewhat-hairy-but-just-take-it-in-stride).
The movie is kind of summed up in that ending song: it's not a great song, but it's cute. It is 'casually irreverent', with a very simple melody and guitar part, with many lines just adorable nonsense - and the two people singing it are not trying to imitate some stupid idea of big glamourous pop music. They are just singing this little humorous folky tune to each other, their voices are not great but normal - and that really speaks strongly: it feels much more real and touching than if they sang every note perfectly. (some of this talk can spill over into Sweeney Todd...I remember they said that the studios didn't think that a horror/black comedy muscial would ever have a chance withough pop-based songs. D: D: D: If it had pop-based songs, it would have died like a bad fart)
Now, I'm not necessarily advocating that people should sing "badly" - I enjoy a great voice as much as anything else - but within the context, sometimes you need a few rough edges. ^_^
Speaking of Sweeney Todd, Sam and I were discussing how the judge officially and symbolically fucks everything up for Todd. For real. He is the one that sends Todd away, he assaults Lucy, he has his lecherous hands all over Johanna, if he hadn't come up to the barber shop when he did, Todd would not have killed Lucy - (he likely would have sent her away on some pretense, but the suddenness of the judge's arrival forced him to make a choice and act quickly), and the judge is THERE in the background, still in the shot where Todd is mourning over Lucy and as he dies. Even in death, they can't get away from him! .... yep.
The movie is kind of summed up in that ending song: it's not a great song, but it's cute. It is 'casually irreverent', with a very simple melody and guitar part, with many lines just adorable nonsense - and the two people singing it are not trying to imitate some stupid idea of big glamourous pop music. They are just singing this little humorous folky tune to each other, their voices are not great but normal - and that really speaks strongly: it feels much more real and touching than if they sang every note perfectly. (some of this talk can spill over into Sweeney Todd...I remember they said that the studios didn't think that a horror/black comedy muscial would ever have a chance withough pop-based songs. D: D: D: If it had pop-based songs, it would have died like a bad fart)
Now, I'm not necessarily advocating that people should sing "badly" - I enjoy a great voice as much as anything else - but within the context, sometimes you need a few rough edges. ^_^
Speaking of Sweeney Todd, Sam and I were discussing how the judge officially and symbolically fucks everything up for Todd. For real. He is the one that sends Todd away, he assaults Lucy, he has his lecherous hands all over Johanna, if he hadn't come up to the barber shop when he did, Todd would not have killed Lucy - (he likely would have sent her away on some pretense, but the suddenness of the judge's arrival forced him to make a choice and act quickly), and the judge is THERE in the background, still in the shot where Todd is mourning over Lucy and as he dies. Even in death, they can't get away from him! .... yep.