Seen a couple times and 8/28/14
3/4
While Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds is clearly a great film, wildly original and of supreme entertainment value, I am obliged to note foremost the contents of my most recent viewing, which was valuable as an experience only really to solidify my opinion of the movie for the next handful of years before I may see it again. I thought that it would strike me as it first did, which was so long ago and in such a different era of my filmviewing history, but it really didn't. I recognized the brilliance, but I didn't feel it. The Christoph Waltz dialogue was fantastic, as it always has been-- drawn and deliberate to the most impeccable form; similarly, Lt. Raine's twangy farting-otherwise-known-as-language was brilliantly placed and timed, holding an awesome, almost physical comedy. Other parts fell together with the gorgeous and perfect imperfection that marks Tarantino films. I guess I'm just too accustomed to this kind of film for the time being. Tarantino is no longer shocking, especially not his two recent films (Basterds and Django). Maybe I could still experience the full impact of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. Yes, probably so.
Friday, August 28, 2015
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Review: Inside Out
Seen 8/8/15
2.5/4
What feels like my first review in an eternity serves Pixar's newest polished, sparkling product, Inside Out. It is another Pixar breaking of barriers, reconfiguration of storytelling and animation, picture of terrific creativity and innovation. The thing is absolutely beautiful, visually (the studio takes another step toward perfection) and has a delicate Giacchino score to back it up. It also has a true emotional touch, driven by a personification of Sadness and raw displays of relatable mental activity. Beyond this, there is a progressive message motivating it all roughly concerning mental health. However, for all its beauty and melancholy and technical brilliance/innovation, Inside Out scores mediocre in many other ways. The humor, and its disappointing quality, is so inevitable. As the film started, I found myself dreaming about what it would be like if the movie were to remain in such sublime abstraction, such aesthetic grace and minimalism. But I knew that that was only a dream, as Pixar has an obligation. Unfortunately, the most brilliant and imaginative filmmaking team on Earth has an obligation to every shallow child in America. Thus, a brain-rotting humor took over a good part of the rest of the film, driving its wonderful premise and impeccable technical execution into weak commercialism. The script is unfortunate in many other ways, also. Some characters are cheap, dialogue is too fast-paced, kid-movie archetypes abound...
I did enjoy this film though, and I really appreciated its aesthetic and its emotional grace. Not all the humor is bad, either. Perhaps if Pixar didn't spend a billion dollars on every movie, they wouldn't mind trying one with a more complete quality.
2.5/4
What feels like my first review in an eternity serves Pixar's newest polished, sparkling product, Inside Out. It is another Pixar breaking of barriers, reconfiguration of storytelling and animation, picture of terrific creativity and innovation. The thing is absolutely beautiful, visually (the studio takes another step toward perfection) and has a delicate Giacchino score to back it up. It also has a true emotional touch, driven by a personification of Sadness and raw displays of relatable mental activity. Beyond this, there is a progressive message motivating it all roughly concerning mental health. However, for all its beauty and melancholy and technical brilliance/innovation, Inside Out scores mediocre in many other ways. The humor, and its disappointing quality, is so inevitable. As the film started, I found myself dreaming about what it would be like if the movie were to remain in such sublime abstraction, such aesthetic grace and minimalism. But I knew that that was only a dream, as Pixar has an obligation. Unfortunately, the most brilliant and imaginative filmmaking team on Earth has an obligation to every shallow child in America. Thus, a brain-rotting humor took over a good part of the rest of the film, driving its wonderful premise and impeccable technical execution into weak commercialism. The script is unfortunate in many other ways, also. Some characters are cheap, dialogue is too fast-paced, kid-movie archetypes abound...
I did enjoy this film though, and I really appreciated its aesthetic and its emotional grace. Not all the humor is bad, either. Perhaps if Pixar didn't spend a billion dollars on every movie, they wouldn't mind trying one with a more complete quality.
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