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Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
(directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul (???), 2010)
Some movies are mind f**ks. And some movies, like Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, are mind f**k sluts who never stop! This particular mind f**k slut has full blown AIDS. It's about a man dying of a disease (I guess the movie gave it to him) and his dead wife returns to him as a ghost and his long lost son returns to him as a red, glowing eyed Bigfoot-like monster. Cut to a random LONG ASS scene of a jeweled princess who feels unattractive going into a lake and having sex with a talking catfish. Cut to a LONG ASS, boring as hell scene of the dying man (Uncle Boonmee) traveling through a cave to die. Cut to random snapshot photos of a monkey man either being pulled around on a leash by military guys, or posing for pictures with them! Cut to a rebellious monk getting naked and taking a shower. Cut to a bizarre ending in which the monk and a woman, who is the star of this movie, suddenly have TWIN VERSIONS OF THEMSELVES walking out of a room!
This movie made No Sense. Maybe it makes sense to Achipadong Weeresekal, or whatever his name is, but it does not make sense to me. It might make sense when you read about what's supposed to be going on, but it does not make any sense as you watch it. And it's BORING AS HELL.
Oh, I forgot to tell you about the random opening involving a cow traipsing off into the woods that made no sense as well. The film starts off very boring -- but -- when the ghost of the dead wife suddenly appears, following by the hysterical (I laughed long and hard at this) introduction of the son (who looks like Bigfoot with red eyes) sneaking up the stairs and heading over to the dinner table where the family and the ghostly wife are already sitting down -- I thought Uncle Boonmee was going to start becoming vastly entertaining -- at least in a bad way. In a way, it does -- but it's still very boring -- and makes no sense. This movie was made with drugs, not skill. And this movie won the Palm d'Or? This movie makes me want to never watch another movie ever again.
I'm sorry for being so negative towards this film, but I don't get it, and from comments I'm reading from other people on the internet, they don't get it, either. I'd rather be honest and tell you that I think this movie really, really sucks. The film ended and I literally felt like I had gained nothing from it. The most I enjoyed was the visuals from the waterfall scene involving the princess who gets it on with a catfish. Plus my laughs from the scene where the ghost and Bigfoot are introduced -- but I won't laugh the next time I watch this movie. I know better. I know there's nothing else coming along that's gonna keep my interest up.
People, please be very wary of "acclaimed" films. I don't wanna come off and say that this movie is pretentious or anything - because it may very well speak to a lot of people, particularly people who believe in karma, reincarnation -- even though there's practically no mention of reincarnation in this film at all! I think the random scenes, perhaps with the princess and the monkeys, all have to do with the past lives, but it's never noted during the film that it is. If they said anything about it, I fell asleep. The movie is subtitled, which doesn't bother me -- I wish there had been more dialogue.
But, really... this movie was definitely an experience, but it was not a pleasurable experience. I was happy when it was over and I felt like I hadn't even watched anything. Well, my eyes were saying differently -- my mind was definitely upset, though. If this movie was a person, it would be on its next life already, 'cause I would have killed it!
(for visuals, general nuttiness and because I managed to not turn it off -- but the film feels like a 0 to me.)
(directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul (???), 2010)
Some movies are mind f**ks. And some movies, like Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, are mind f**k sluts who never stop! This particular mind f**k slut has full blown AIDS. It's about a man dying of a disease (I guess the movie gave it to him) and his dead wife returns to him as a ghost and his long lost son returns to him as a red, glowing eyed Bigfoot-like monster. Cut to a random LONG ASS scene of a jeweled princess who feels unattractive going into a lake and having sex with a talking catfish. Cut to a LONG ASS, boring as hell scene of the dying man (Uncle Boonmee) traveling through a cave to die. Cut to random snapshot photos of a monkey man either being pulled around on a leash by military guys, or posing for pictures with them! Cut to a rebellious monk getting naked and taking a shower. Cut to a bizarre ending in which the monk and a woman, who is the star of this movie, suddenly have TWIN VERSIONS OF THEMSELVES walking out of a room!
This movie made No Sense. Maybe it makes sense to Achipadong Weeresekal, or whatever his name is, but it does not make sense to me. It might make sense when you read about what's supposed to be going on, but it does not make any sense as you watch it. And it's BORING AS HELL.
Oh, I forgot to tell you about the random opening involving a cow traipsing off into the woods that made no sense as well. The film starts off very boring -- but -- when the ghost of the dead wife suddenly appears, following by the hysterical (I laughed long and hard at this) introduction of the son (who looks like Bigfoot with red eyes) sneaking up the stairs and heading over to the dinner table where the family and the ghostly wife are already sitting down -- I thought Uncle Boonmee was going to start becoming vastly entertaining -- at least in a bad way. In a way, it does -- but it's still very boring -- and makes no sense. This movie was made with drugs, not skill. And this movie won the Palm d'Or? This movie makes me want to never watch another movie ever again.
I'm sorry for being so negative towards this film, but I don't get it, and from comments I'm reading from other people on the internet, they don't get it, either. I'd rather be honest and tell you that I think this movie really, really sucks. The film ended and I literally felt like I had gained nothing from it. The most I enjoyed was the visuals from the waterfall scene involving the princess who gets it on with a catfish. Plus my laughs from the scene where the ghost and Bigfoot are introduced -- but I won't laugh the next time I watch this movie. I know better. I know there's nothing else coming along that's gonna keep my interest up.
People, please be very wary of "acclaimed" films. I don't wanna come off and say that this movie is pretentious or anything - because it may very well speak to a lot of people, particularly people who believe in karma, reincarnation -- even though there's practically no mention of reincarnation in this film at all! I think the random scenes, perhaps with the princess and the monkeys, all have to do with the past lives, but it's never noted during the film that it is. If they said anything about it, I fell asleep. The movie is subtitled, which doesn't bother me -- I wish there had been more dialogue.
But, really... this movie was definitely an experience, but it was not a pleasurable experience. I was happy when it was over and I felt like I hadn't even watched anything. Well, my eyes were saying differently -- my mind was definitely upset, though. If this movie was a person, it would be on its next life already, 'cause I would have killed it!
(for visuals, general nuttiness and because I managed to not turn it off -- but the film feels like a 0 to me.)