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You're shooting out these split second "reviews" so quickly that people can't respond. You posted a pretty strong and vague opinion against one of my all-time favorite films, and I'd like to get the opportunity to defend it. I'm referring to your Requiem for a Dream one:
Okay... Requiem for a Dream isn't mean to be "cool". Nor is it an "anti-drug" movie... just to start somewhere. All of the stylistic choices are used to contribute to the frenzied, frantic pacing of the story, which is a huge part of its originality. The hip-hop montages, the Snorri-cam shots, the fish eye imagery, etc... all of that was used as a means of telling the story in an effective way. Aronofsky never intended to make a "cool" film with Requiem for a Dream.
To call it an "anti-drug thing" is a disgrace. That's lowering the film's intelligence to mainstream level. This film doesn't say "don't do drugs". It's an examination of addiction's effects on the human spirit. That's a whole lot different. You can take from it what you will, but this movie has no direct "anti-drug" scenes to speak. It presents a horrifying reality to contribute to the poetic whole of the story, but never makes turning kids away from drugs the main ambition.
Second of all, you said the "characters are worthless". There's no basis for that whatsoever. Although the character development is admittedly scarce, that's because the story is a whirlwind, and these characters are sucked along with it. However, we do see their dreams and regrets through several key moments in the film (I don't know if you were watching). Harry and Marion, for example, show a mutual dream of making each other's lives as happy as possible, and Aronofsky manages to portray this in a perfectly believable way. Sara Goldfarb feels she has nothing to live for now that she gets no attention from her family... she feels like an insignificant old woman. So she turns to her addictions: diet pills and the possibility of having a spot on television. They steer her away from her feelings of isolation, but ultimately drive her insane. Tyrone is a sad little boy who was never given guidance, as is displayed in the ESSENTIAL flashback where he shares a tender moment with his ignorant mother.
Last remark I'd like to comment on: "ends in the middle of nowhere". This has probably the hardest-hitting closure of any film I've ever seen. We see all three characters reduced to their lowest states, curling up in the fetal position in their mindsets of complete loss. They have all been defeated.
I can't allow somebody to rate Rush Hour higher than Requiem for a Dream without at least saying something... so there you are.
Originally Posted by meadwadsprite
+ amazing visuals dominate the movie
+ lots of cool scenes
- characters are worthless
- ends in the middle of nothing
C+ the coolest looking anti-drug thing ever
+ lots of cool scenes
- characters are worthless
- ends in the middle of nothing
C+ the coolest looking anti-drug thing ever
To call it an "anti-drug thing" is a disgrace. That's lowering the film's intelligence to mainstream level. This film doesn't say "don't do drugs". It's an examination of addiction's effects on the human spirit. That's a whole lot different. You can take from it what you will, but this movie has no direct "anti-drug" scenes to speak. It presents a horrifying reality to contribute to the poetic whole of the story, but never makes turning kids away from drugs the main ambition.
Second of all, you said the "characters are worthless". There's no basis for that whatsoever. Although the character development is admittedly scarce, that's because the story is a whirlwind, and these characters are sucked along with it. However, we do see their dreams and regrets through several key moments in the film (I don't know if you were watching). Harry and Marion, for example, show a mutual dream of making each other's lives as happy as possible, and Aronofsky manages to portray this in a perfectly believable way. Sara Goldfarb feels she has nothing to live for now that she gets no attention from her family... she feels like an insignificant old woman. So she turns to her addictions: diet pills and the possibility of having a spot on television. They steer her away from her feelings of isolation, but ultimately drive her insane. Tyrone is a sad little boy who was never given guidance, as is displayed in the ESSENTIAL flashback where he shares a tender moment with his ignorant mother.
Last remark I'd like to comment on: "ends in the middle of nowhere". This has probably the hardest-hitting closure of any film I've ever seen. We see all three characters reduced to their lowest states, curling up in the fetal position in their mindsets of complete loss. They have all been defeated.
I can't allow somebody to rate Rush Hour higher than Requiem for a Dream without at least saying something... so there you are.
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I was recently in an independent comedy-drama about post-high school indecision. It's called Generation Why.
See the trailer here:
