If I could explain why it hits as deep as it hits then I wouldn’t be human. But I can try. Maybe the hurt is in me; maybe it’s in the film. But the cut is deeper and it calls out to something that cannot help but respond. Maybe it’s all because I am the literal age of these kids. I was also 14-15 in 1999-2001. I have many shared experiences. I can relate to the bullying, the safe haven…
There is a risk in both the simplicity and the historical context of any snapshot of modern life. Focusing on simple people in a specific place and time can create a myopic view of life that conflates mundanity with meaning. It can falsely lionize the “common man” without ever discovering deeper truths that extend beyond the specifics. Yi Yi overcomes those risks through Edward Yang’s deep humanism and relenting honesty. There is another risk, however, that can defeat even the…
I quite liked the cast and characters. The actors are giving their all. There is something about the way the film is plot driven, though, that made it feel less intelligent than it probably is. My impression is that the plot was driving the bus not the characters and it felt trite because of that, including the main plot twist. I didn't adore the original, either, because it felt like a great premise in want of a better movie. I…
The dialogue and acting make for an amusing little comedy. I did not, however, find anything the characters said to be interesting. It felt very outdated in its subject matter. As did the plot, what little there is. I do think it operates as a very good expose of 90s male-centric blather. There is a realism to that perspective though I'm unsure if that's commentary on 90s society or just Smith being an active participant. Unclear but it didn't really interest me in any way; I lived the 90s and this did not make me miss them.
Order of Merit: N/A
Look only at that last dance and you know all you need to know. It’s just three minutes combining two scenes and one song. It’s the oldest of concepts, doing what every film student tries to do: craft a montage summarizing the film and speaking all of the truths without revealing any of the answers. But it is so perfect, so precise and so powerful that it immediately enters into the recent canon of greatest final sequences. Charlotte Wells could…
Order of Merit: Sound
This film ruined itself for me. There are aspects that are genius, including much of the last hour. I take issue with some of the structure, including the poor decision to include a second musical number after the iconic gym scene, but there is a lot to like here.
My issue is the two major acts of violence in the film completely drown everything else (pun intended). The first is maybe OK given it is taken…
