Atonement
Went to see 'Atonement' today. To be honest, the previews had left me curiously underwhelmed, so I wasn't expecting a whole lot from it. Which turned out to be perfect, because I didn't get a whole lot.
The entire thing is beautiful, to be sure. There are even a few scenes that deserve to be described as "breath-taking." The actors are all perfectly fine, although Saoirse Ronan as young Briony was the only one who managed anything approaching excellent. Keira Knightley and James McAvoy have a decent chemistry, but not enough to sustain the epic, torrid love story they're supposed to be in.
To be fair, the first third or so of the movie is stunning. It's taut and suspenseful and almost unbearably sexy. The rest of it, however, meanders and never really seems to know where it wants to go.
On top of everything else, there's a distinct "Let's win some fucking Oscars!" feel to the whole production.
I'm not really sure how I felt about this one, as you can probably tell. There wasn't anything that I hated about it, even really thought was bad, but it also wasn't anything special. I'm going to settle for an "It was okay" and just leave it at that.
The thing that makes me sad is that this film is probably going to sweep the Oscars. It's almost a sure bet to win Best Picture, even over 'No Country For Old Men', because Academy voters are suckers for dramatic period pieces. Then you have a film like, say, 'Juno', a film with true heart and wit and sweetness, a film with tremendous performances from everybody involved, and it will maybe get nominated for Best Original Screenplay. That's where they put the quirky little films, see. The fact that it's rapidly gaining a loyal fan base (I think it's #3 in the country right now) might get it a Best Picture nod, like what happened with the good but undeserving 'Little Miss Sunshine,' but I don't have high hopes. And don't get me started on 'Knocked Up,' which at least deserved something from the Globes, because I'm still not over 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin' getting completely disregarded. When are people going to realize that comedies, even ribald ones such as these, are still worthy as art? It drives me crazy.
P.S. I saw previews for 'The Duchess' and 'The Other Boleyn Girl', and holy hell they both look terrible. There was also one for 'Jumper,' which looks just awful but was directed by Doug Liman, who is one of my favorites. I am so disappointed. Luckily these were followed by trailers for 'Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day' and 'In Bruges,' both of which look like decent movies and a lot of fun.
The entire thing is beautiful, to be sure. There are even a few scenes that deserve to be described as "breath-taking." The actors are all perfectly fine, although Saoirse Ronan as young Briony was the only one who managed anything approaching excellent. Keira Knightley and James McAvoy have a decent chemistry, but not enough to sustain the epic, torrid love story they're supposed to be in.
To be fair, the first third or so of the movie is stunning. It's taut and suspenseful and almost unbearably sexy. The rest of it, however, meanders and never really seems to know where it wants to go.
On top of everything else, there's a distinct "Let's win some fucking Oscars!" feel to the whole production.
I'm not really sure how I felt about this one, as you can probably tell. There wasn't anything that I hated about it, even really thought was bad, but it also wasn't anything special. I'm going to settle for an "It was okay" and just leave it at that.
The thing that makes me sad is that this film is probably going to sweep the Oscars. It's almost a sure bet to win Best Picture, even over 'No Country For Old Men', because Academy voters are suckers for dramatic period pieces. Then you have a film like, say, 'Juno', a film with true heart and wit and sweetness, a film with tremendous performances from everybody involved, and it will maybe get nominated for Best Original Screenplay. That's where they put the quirky little films, see. The fact that it's rapidly gaining a loyal fan base (I think it's #3 in the country right now) might get it a Best Picture nod, like what happened with the good but undeserving 'Little Miss Sunshine,' but I don't have high hopes. And don't get me started on 'Knocked Up,' which at least deserved something from the Globes, because I'm still not over 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin' getting completely disregarded. When are people going to realize that comedies, even ribald ones such as these, are still worthy as art? It drives me crazy.
P.S. I saw previews for 'The Duchess' and 'The Other Boleyn Girl', and holy hell they both look terrible. There was also one for 'Jumper,' which looks just awful but was directed by Doug Liman, who is one of my favorites. I am so disappointed. Luckily these were followed by trailers for 'Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day' and 'In Bruges,' both of which look like decent movies and a lot of fun.