Modern films are rubbish.
If I were even more of a ponce I'd say "modern film is rubbish".
The evidence stacks up year after year.
Blockbusters are shit.
American 'independent' films made by music video directors are shit.
Contemporary European art house cinema? Oh come on, you can't compare it with the films of the 60s, 70s, or even 80s. Kieslowski was the last great Euro giant who died too young - ooh, now I'm getting poncey.
OK, there are a few good Iranian films but...
Why watch a film you'll only watch once and react by saying, "Well, that was alright, I suppose."?
Because film critics are still around saying things like "a tour de force" and other such codswallop.
Far From Heaven is a homage (an homage?) to All That Heaven Allows by the great Douglas Sirk.
In the Time Out Film Guide, reviewer Geoff Andrew creams his corduroys about this film.
I say it's as tame as Cindy, my deceased bitch.
Far From Heaven is set in late 50s New England - in the autumn of course, so the colours are really really sumptuous and gorgeous and out of this world.
The man of the family is a top salesman who shags men in secret. His housewifey wife finds this out and simultaneously falls in love with the family's black gardener who happens to be cultured (i.e. white, middle-class cultured).
The husband falls in love too, with a young blond man. He leaves the marital home.
"Society" won't allow the nice housewife to get together with her potential lover.
God, I'm bored describing it.
Is postmodernism to blame?
1 day ago
Is Cindy YOUR deceased bitch? If so - please accept my deepest sympathies.
ReplyDeleteI followed your link and it said 'Riveting and Rapturous'.
So - just another boring blockbuster then?
I do believe Far From Heaven stars Julianne Moore. I'm sure every broadsheet colour supplement always keeps at least a dozen pages free a couple of times a year for glowing profiles of Ms Moore. Every time she has a film out I make a point of avoiding reading newspapers that week for fear of having to read yet more mesmerising prose about what a brilliant, classy actress she is. I think her publicist deserves a Lifetime Achievement Award.
ReplyDeleteI am, however, a huge fan of Magnolia.
Kaz - I know I made myself sound like an Uzi-toting rapper, but Cindy was an old well loved family pet who died some 8 years ago. I wouldn't really call it a blockbuster, more a sensitive remake of an infinitely superior film.
ReplyDeleteWyndham - I don't think Julianne was tested that much by this part so I didn't get to see just how gifted she is. I was going to include a review of another film we saw this week in the post, but I couldn't be bothered. It was called Run Lola Run and was much better, about a young German woman who has 20 minutes to find 100,000 marks to stop her boyfriend from holding up a supermarket. That was a modern modern film (1998) and well worth seeing if it's a couple of quid on dvd.
As far as paint goes, I think I prefer Peach Blush.
I know the post office is trying to diversify but 'film we saw this week in the post' had me a bit confused.
ReplyDeleteProbably the 2 glasses of sauvignon.
I've seen 'Run Lola Run' - a true original.
It was in widescreen through the letterbox.
ReplyDeleteCheers, Kaz. I'm drinking a mixture of water and pineapple juice.
I did a whole thesis on the use of colour as a theme in the films of Douglas Sirk - he was a genius.
ReplyDelete