Movie round up

[mimesh]

Has anybody seen Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland yet? I had mixed feelings after watching it. While it was overall entertaining and had some beautiful visuals and a few (but not enough) Burtonesque trademark characters, it lacked the magic many of his earlier works had. The technical possibilities didn't really work in his favor. But Johnny was

Comments

[cadesama]

Having now seen Order of Chaos, I think a neutral audience would probably agree with us. I think the casting was deliberate, based a lot on looks, having John start out looking like an everyman but totally sleazing it up later on and Milo there to look sharp and dangerous, but potentially honest by the end. (The moment where the boss says Rick must be 10 if she's 30 was gold; the look on his face!) It's an interesting movie, but I'd say incomplete. Purposefully, of course, but leaving people hanging wondering whether John is just a nutbar, or if this is supposed to represent how all men can be driven to the edge, or if Rick really was out to get him... that's something a film maker can only do after earning the audience's trust. I didn't trust them throughout the film. I didn't trust that they wouldn't dive off the deep end, have John kill his fiancee and boss and support his claim that he was the victim. I feel that, by the end, the most sensible interpretation is that John, as an individual, is at fault for all his own problems. But I also feel like the narrative leaves that question too open. If that makes the slightest bit of sense at all.

And I totally would have liked to see more Rick. For, you know, narrative purposes. I'm sure plenty of questions would have been answered by showing us his date on the beach. Where he's undoubtedly shirtless.

[cadesama]

Your icon is a beautiful, beautiful thing.

(And how crazy is it that this movie made me look up both the requirements of entrance to the Bar and Hate Crimes legislation?)

[mimesh]

I didn't trust that they wouldn't dive off the deep end, have John kill his fiancee and boss and support his claim that he was the victim. I feel that, by the end, the most sensible interpretation is that John, as an individual, is at fault for all his own problems. But I also feel like the narrative leaves that question too open. If that makes the slightest bit of sense at all.

I know exactly what you mean and tried to say that more or less in my comment to missy. And you are absolutely right about your sensible suggestion to work out this characterization by showing us that beach date. His shirtlessness would have been absolutely pivotal to explore different facets of his character.

[cadesama]

And also that they could have used that scene to explain how he didn't get convicted for the hate crime and how he then got accepted to the bar with that on his record SHIRTLESS.