film clicks: bleak
two films i saw recently that, in their own certain and uncertain ways, were deftly done.
the scenes, the mood, the subtleties - all worth remembering.
[screencap by fearless_123]
(Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst, Frank Langella)
the story is based off of an unsolved missing persons case. the plot itself is nothing stunning, but the director's perspective and his take on the people involved hold that seed of fascination. like they're just beginning to show us something. strictly speaking, the movie is not expertly paced at all, and there are too many characters introduced that we never see more than glimpses of. (like Deborah Lehrman.) but David Marks. that scene, where he's by the water, greying hair and lined face, wearing a silk deep-blue blouse and eyeshadow. delivering that "i need to disappear...for a while" line. my god, Ryan Gosling should get some sort of fucking award for that. i love how his character, in particular, is never fully plumbed. it's that not-knowing that keeps us on edge, distanced and terrified. and i am always up for watching anything involving Frank Langella. (Kirsten was lackluster, as she usually is. but let's not talk about that.) if you have time, don't watch it for the plot or even necessarily the acting. but the raw mood of it, which will linger for days. (and, for people like me, provides that something extra that makes one want to write fic.)
(Jennifer Lawrence)
a teenage girl, in search of her meth-dealing father in the Ozarks. i'd never heard of Jennifer prior to this film, but i'll never forget her now. her performance is truly something to behold. enough to propel this admittedly poorly-titled film into my all-time top ten. also, is there anything more bleak and lovely than the palette of razor-sharp, unforgiving winter scenes? it's the kind of film that has you noticing the way you breathe and the quietness of the air around you, as the credits are rolling.
the scenes, the mood, the subtleties - all worth remembering.
[screencap by fearless_123]
(Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst, Frank Langella)
the story is based off of an unsolved missing persons case. the plot itself is nothing stunning, but the director's perspective and his take on the people involved hold that seed of fascination. like they're just beginning to show us something. strictly speaking, the movie is not expertly paced at all, and there are too many characters introduced that we never see more than glimpses of. (like Deborah Lehrman.) but David Marks. that scene, where he's by the water, greying hair and lined face, wearing a silk deep-blue blouse and eyeshadow. delivering that "i need to disappear...for a while" line. my god, Ryan Gosling should get some sort of fucking award for that. i love how his character, in particular, is never fully plumbed. it's that not-knowing that keeps us on edge, distanced and terrified. and i am always up for watching anything involving Frank Langella. (Kirsten was lackluster, as she usually is. but let's not talk about that.) if you have time, don't watch it for the plot or even necessarily the acting. but the raw mood of it, which will linger for days. (and, for people like me, provides that something extra that makes one want to write fic.)
(Jennifer Lawrence)
a teenage girl, in search of her meth-dealing father in the Ozarks. i'd never heard of Jennifer prior to this film, but i'll never forget her now. her performance is truly something to behold. enough to propel this admittedly poorly-titled film into my all-time top ten. also, is there anything more bleak and lovely than the palette of razor-sharp, unforgiving winter scenes? it's the kind of film that has you noticing the way you breathe and the quietness of the air around you, as the credits are rolling.