Thursday, November 23, 2006

Thanksgiving


This year, I'm thankful for Darren Aronofsky's "The Fountain."

I had the opportunity to see it twice yesterday and I have to say I liked it alot. Steve and I watched it yesterday on our lunch break and it hit me really hard. On the other hand, Steve said that it was pretentious, but I told him that anyone who liked David Lynch films as much as he did wasn't allowed to call any film pretentious. Except maybe the Matrix. Fuck those movies.

Anyhow, the film was powerful on pretty much every level. There were small pieces of cinematography that actually thrilled me, knowing how hard they would be to pull off and how much harder they would be to pull off right. For instance, there's an amazing tracking shot up Rachel Weisz' arm early in the movie that plays with the focus and it's just really cool. A dozen other shots stood out in my mind, but I'd be hard pressed to describe them here.

The film really explores issues of Death and Love of Life and Loss and coming to terms with all of those issues.

Parts of the film hit me really hard emotionally, like some type of emotional kick to the groin. Sometimes, it hit so hard I found myself shedding tears involuntarily.

The imagery in the film is breathtaking. I was quite impressed and awe-struck. Others I saw it with seemed to think they'd seen it all before, but clearly, they are crazy. The acting in the film was also top notch across the board, there wasn't a moment I didn't believe anyone and Hugh Jackman is probably the greatest living male actor at crying, perhaps tied only with Ewan McGregor.

The music and sound design is once again of particular note. The Kronos Quartet returns to score another Aronofsky score and it is both haunting and wonderful. Also, his use of sound, both overuse in places and underuse in places adds to the atmosphere in ways that other filmmakers should pay more attention to.

And this film is also very much like 2001, where you must come to an understanding about the ending each time you view the film. Your perceptions of it will change depending on what sort of mood and state of mind you're in, I'm sure.

At the end of the day, I'm guessing most people won't like this film as much as I did and it'll be one of those movies that you either love or hate. I don't see many people able to sit the fence on this one. But I would highly recommend that everyone who reads this check it out.

43 comments:

Anonymous said...

wow! i'm sold!

Anonymous said...

...

...

Bryan...


Dear lord.
I dont know where to start... wait!

I get it!

You loathed this film to such an extent to where you feel as if you need to punish others out of feeling cheated by tricking them into watching it.

That is cruel Bryan. This agonizingly horrible film should be used to interrogate Al Quaeda agents since we have Okay'd torture.

Unknown said...

What's so bad about the movie, in your opinion, if you really think a movie this good is torture?

... said...

I thought this movie was balls. Poorly constructed and pretentious. Sometimes laughable. I'm not going into any more detail because I could write for pages and pages.

Suffice to say, you can't compare this film to David Lynch. It's like comparing FAIL SAFE with DR. STRANGELOVE.

Unknown said...

Ummm....

I've seen this movie three times now and I feel like it has more heart and meaning than many of the David Lynch films that I've seen (and liked.)

I just don't think you were in the right mood to watch a movie with these sorts of powerful themes.

Also, I can't even begin to wonder why you thought the structure was bad. Upon second and third viewings, the structure of the film is what I fell in love with.

Also, I can compare this to David Lynch and, sorry Steve, I think it's better.

I'm not going to go on any more, because I could go on like this for pages and pages.

... said...

No, seriously. Go on for pages and pages.

Jack Tripper said...

Bryan,

I will be checking out the flick soon and I will post a ten page critical analysis of the film here on www.thisdividedstate.blogspot.com.

Your pal,

Duckie

PS

Did you check out Take the Money and Run? If so, what did you think?

PPS

What will happen to this thisdividedstate.blogspot.com when the next flick is released?

PPPs

What is the title of the fatso doc?

Unknown said...

I haven't had a chance to watch Take the Money and Run yet. Trust that I am planning on it though.

We've got the blog link on the new website aimed here. We'll probably just refer everything here, just because... you know.... we're here....

Jack Tripper said...

Right on!

And do you have a name for the next flick yet?

Please don't take this the wrong way, but since you are clearly the brain and the brawn behind www.thisdividedstate.blogspot.com, I can only gather that likewise you are the brain and brawn behind this next flick.

I will be real pissed if anyone but you gets top billing.

Your pal,

Duckie Butters

... said...

Duckie,

Prepare yourself to be very, very angry.

STEVEN

Jack Tripper said...

Steven,

What sort of approach are you taking with the fatso doc? Will you be ocassionally a disembodied voice from behind the camera, or will you be in front of the camera Michael Moore style? Just wondering.

Your pal,

Duckie Butters

... said...

Duckie,

I'd love to tell you, but I'm going to keep you in suspense!

STEVEN

Jack Tripper said...

Steven,

If you do it Michael Moore style, I hope to see you wearing that crappy Rancid T-shirt, with your collar flipped up - with those gay sunglasses and perhaps a matching Ambercrombie beanie and scarf!

Your pal,

Duckie

... said...

Duckie,

You should be my personal CoJo!

But, that Steven that you speak of is gone.

"The good Steven is in the lodge. Write it in your diary."

STEVEN

Anonymous said...

Does the Steven that remains still have a set of frog eyes?

... said...

Why don't you just ask him?

Anonymous said...

OK

Does the Steven that remains still have a set of frog eyes?

... said...

You'll never know.

Anonymous said...

I'll take that as a YES.

burn!

... said...

How exactly do you take your yes?

Jack Tripper said...

Steven,

That hardly passed as a joke.

Your comebacks are generaly somewhere between pretty crappy and really crappy, but I think you topped yourself with that last one, Crappy!


Anonymous,

I've never heard of the term "frog eyes". What is that supposed to mean? Frogs have eyes on top of their heads. What does that have to do with Steven Greenstreet?

If you will both pardon me I need to get back to doing my jumping jacks. I bought an large container of egg nog and I promised myself that for every night I did calesthenics I could drink all the egg nog I want.

Holiday Cheers,

Duckie

PS

Brian,

Did you come up with a name for your documentary yet. If not, I thought I would put on my thinking cap so we could get this thing up and running. A film just isn't a film until it's been given a proper name.

... said...

Duckie,

Stop thinking about crap.

STEVEN

Anonymous said...

Duckie,

Frogs have eyes on the top of their heads but more importantly frogs have the unusual ability to move each of their eyes independently from the other. This gives them a weird look but facilitates the catching of flies.

"What do frogs have to do with Steven Greenstreet?" EVERYTHING.

... said...

Frogs are also green. But sometimes brown. And they also have names. You will never find an anonymous frog. Frogs are better than that.

Jack Tripper said...

Steven,

Frogs don't ALL have names. You're not making any sense.

I had a tree frog for about three days when I was a kid and it was killed by my younger brother before I had a chance to give him a name. When I buried it out in the yard I refered to it as simply "Little Froggy".

Imagine how many tree frogs there must be living in the jungle that don't have owners to give them proper names before they are eaten by bigger jungle creatures.

Most frogs DO NOT have names. Get it straight!

Your pal,

Duckshire J. Butters

... said...

Scientific Name: Rana catesbeiana

All of them.

You will never find an "anonymous" frog. Frogs are better than that.

Jack Tripper said...

Steven,

That has to be the worst come back of all times.

Anonymous,

I think what Steven is saying is that he would prefer that you change your handle from "Anonymous", which I think is rather clever, to something more scientific like "Homo Sapien". I guess "Human Being" would work too.

Bryan,

Has Steven lost his mind or is he just extremely tired? He's just not making much sense these days. And he obviously went to www.Wikipedia.org to make us thing he's real smart which is just pathetic.

Season's Greetings,

Duckie Butters aka Human Being

... said...

Duckie,

Oh, you are too much!

STEVEN

Anonymous said...

Homo Steven Sapien,

BURN ON U!

... said...

30 Comments! Keep 'em coming!

Unknown said...

You people astound me.

Jack Tripper said...

In case anyone is confused by the "Frog Eye" reference, I think that I am in a unique position to speak to this.

It came to our attention at www.stevengreenstreet.blogspot.com that Steven Greenstreet had what we like to call a "Wall Eye". Which is a condition where one eye is off center.

We posted some pictures that we felt demonstrated the wall eye feature.

We held a poll and the results showed that the large majority of those who examined the photos felt that he in fact had a wall eye.

We are trying to raise the awareness of this condition and are asking for your help.
If this condition is caught early, and treated, it can be almost eliminated entirely.

Let's all do our part.

Jack Tripper
Founder and President of E.W.E. (Eliminate Wall Eye)

... said...

Jack Tripper, both my eyes are wall eyes.

It just sucks that everyone around me treats me as if both of my eyes are completely fine.

Thanks for your activism against this horrible physical ailment.

... said...

Oh, stenar, thanks.

Now, if only I can come out of the albino closet.

Jack Tripper said...

Steven,

If it makes you feel any better, my left leg is about two inches shorter than my right leg. Plus club feet runs in my family so I am fairly sensitive to what you are going through.

Stenar,

Are you aware that Steven has a rainbow sticker on the back of his car?

Bryan,

I came up with some names for your documentary.

"This Fat Ass Nation"
"Biggie Size Me"
"Anonymous Documentary"

Let Steven know that his frog research was wrong.

Rana catesbeiana is the scientific name for Bull Frog. No other frog goes by that name.

... said...

Let's push 40! Let's push 40!

John said...

40 what? WHAT?

... said...

YES!!!!!!

YES!!!!!!!!!!!

FORTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AND ALL FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks john

Jack Tripper said...

Steve,

You have posted on this thread far more than anyone else. If anyone could get us to 50 posts, I'd bet on you.

So what'd'ya say Steve?

Shall we shoot for 50?

Your pal,

Duckie

PS

if you subtract all of your posts, I think that only leaves 20 something posts. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

... said...

Bryan, you would know.

Anonymous said...

I loved this movie. I've seen it 3 times.

I read this thread however, and it turned out to be the biggest waste of time. Doesn't anyone have something intellegent to say?

Bryan and Steven, You have brought this conversation to a real low with all of this locker room talk.

... said...

Oh, come on, Sara! When was the last time you were ACTUALLY in a locker room?

Anonymous said...

And Sara, you'd like to know that there is not alot of chit-chat going on in there anyway.