The Criterion Collection

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by jw007

Oh, this one is good too:

Joe Neumaier of the NY Daily News:

"For all its strengths, the film is cursed by an ADD-style structure and a flashy but inevitably ineffective casting stunt."

Yes, forgot to mention the ADHD vibe the film suffers from. I think the Wachowskis are too busy playing too many hyper video games. They're no longer human.

To be fair, I bet critics of the day levied a similar complaint against DW Griffith's Intolerance. Time has been kind to that behemoth.

[jw007]

The critics have spoken!

Christy Lemire, Associated Press:

"A bloated, pseudo-intellectual, self-indulgent slog through some notions that are really rather facile."

David Edelstein, NY Magazine:

"The cast comes off like a third-rate stock company on the matinee after the night on which everyone got bombed on mescal (and possibly mescaline)."

Jordan Mintzer, Hollywood Reporter:

"Everything gets homogenized into a blandish whole, the impact of each story softened by the constant need to connect the dots."

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader:

"An incomprehensible mess, held together only by the elaborate stunt of having the same actors play wildly divergent roles in each story."

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by SammyJankis

I mean, I watched it the other night for the third time and I like it well enough, but I can't deny that I was disappointed during my initial viewing. I love the novel, and when I compare it to the film (which I try not to do) it just comes up short. On its own, though, it's a damn good film - and an emotionally successful one. The casting is dead on, and it just looks great. But they could have added on another twenty minutes at least.

I'll concur with this. I wanted more.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

To be fair, I bet critics of the day levied a similar complaint against DW Griffith's Intolerance. Time has been kind to that behemoth.

True, but they didn't have video games that turned brains to mush back then either.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by jw007

The critics have spoken!

And they're speaking here because...

[jw007]

Originally Posted by octagon

And they're speaking here because...

Because they are here to warn average filmgoers of just what they're getting into if they see Cloud Atlas.

But, for those that haven't seen it, go see it. Then you can remember just how immature, pretentious and hyperactive the overall experience was. Don't get sucked in though! It's mighty hard to escape once you're truly in the matrix.

p.s. sorry for derailing the Criterion thread with non-Criterion discussions.

[Abdrewes]

It doesn't mean much, but more critics gave Cloud Atlas a positive review than a negative one.

Hell, Showgirls is a great movie, yet it's RT score is in the teens.

Proof films that garner mixed reviews are often interesting films: M....I mean Heavens Gate

[jw007]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

It doesn't mean much, but more critics gave Cloud Atlas a positive review than a negative one.

Hell, Showgirls is a great movie, yet it's RT score is in the teens.

Proof films that garner mixed reviews are often interesting films: M....I mean Heavens Gate

Yes, but that is all subjective. I guess I'm part of the crowd that ranks Cloud Atlas as a bad film. Many can agree or disagree. You have the freedom of choice to believe what you wish. I just know that in my own opinion, its not a good film. However, its ambition is the only thing it has going for it. It's just a bit of an exercise to take in, at least for me.

[Abdrewes]

Are you a fan of Bound atleast? It ranks Right alongside The Last Seduction as my favorite 1990's neo-noir.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by jw007

It could be part of the reason, but I just feel that these siblings have officially "lost it". They look confused and not genuinely happy for some reason. Though they seemed to smile a lot in their interviews, I just don't know what happened to them. Maybe they just went insane. I guess Larry/Lana was so in love with Tom's movie Run Lola Run, he literally wanted to become that character in real life! Which he actually DID and is now a euro-trash punk rock girl with red hair! I'd like to see Franka Potente in her Lola outfit now standing next to Lana and see if we can tell them apart.

And Lana should have been Lola. Loony Lola.

Yeah, I can see that "iconic objectified fantasy" personified cult-movie-dressup thing happening.
And even with the pink dreadlocks, Lana/Lola still looks more like a "Larry" than most Larrys have a right to, including Larry King, Larry David, Larry Flynt, Larry Tate, and Leisure Suit Larry.

And now that it's all about "Personal expression", we're probably going to get more things along the line of Cloud Atlas ("It's all about who you WANT to be; you don't have to be black or Asian to play a black or Asian character!"), than anything with, oh, say, boring old story coherence like Establishment society forces on movies.

[Snicket]

Refn was in the Criterion offices today...what could it mean?

[jcez28]

so the Battle of Algiers digi-pack is going out of print and being replaced with the plastic case

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by jcez28

so the Battle of Algiers digi-pack is going out of print and being replaced with the plastic case

How much do we pay you for the info?

They should be giving Night of the Hunter that treatment. The case is very prone to dings.

[willieconway]

Originally Posted by Snicket

Refn was in the Criterion offices today...what could it mean?

You're kidding?

Pusher??? The Pusher trilogy????????

Oh man. I'd probably faint.

[Abdrewes]

Originally Posted by willieconway

You're kidding?

Pusher??? The Pusher trilogy????????

Oh man. I'd probably faint.

...or just to compile a top ten list

http://www.criterion.com/explore/164...-refn-s-top-10

[willieconway]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

...or just to compile a top ten list

http://www.criterion.com/explore/164...-refn-s-top-10

Shoot. I liked my theory much better...

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

...or just to compile a top ten list

http://www.criterion.com/explore/164...-refn-s-top-10

Ah, some love for My Life as a Dog! Nice. I adore that film.

[jcez28]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

How much do we pay you for the info?

They should be giving Night of the Hunter that treatment. The case is very prone to dings.

you really got a hard on for me dont you

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

It doesn't mean much, but more critics gave Cloud Atlas a positive review than a negative one.

Hell, Showgirls is a great movie, yet it's RT score is in the teens.

Proof films that garner mixed reviews are often interesting films: M....I mean Heavens Gate

John Carter was panned by critics last year. That's an excellent film, and people are on crack.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by Snicket

Refn was in the Criterion offices today...what could it mean?

There's no way on Earth that Refn did not pick Le Samouraï as one of his Top Ten.

Hey, Snicket! Long time no see.


EDIT: I just read his Top Ten, so I guess that there actually is a way on Earth that Refn did not pick Le Samouraï as one of his Top Ten.