Sandy:
Merchant of Venice next?! Weee! More excellent verbiage coming up!
smirnoff: It's been at least 3 or 4 years since I watched it last.
Sandy: Then its a good time for a revisit.
smirnoff: I think you'll really enjoy it.
Sandy: It's one I don't know much about at all...
Merchant of Venice (Michael Radford, 2004)
Sandy & smirnoff - Wherein we meander quite a bit and end up talking about Rogue One and all things Star Wars. |
Sandy: Wow!
smirnoff: Good?
Sandy: Yes! this movie worked very hard to help me understand it well.
smirnoff: That was my reaction the first time I saw it too. I had no concept of the story, but it all made sense on a first viewing.
Sandy: It makes me wish Branagh slowed down some in Hamlet. Even though he phrases so expertly, he made me work, with the speed of some of his banter!
smirnoff: The length of this play may lend itself to film length better
Sandy: true. i'm not as exhausted.
smirnoff: None of it feels like a it's in a rush
Sandy: not at all! ...nothing drags either. did you see it when it came out in 2004?
smirnoff: I did yea. And it really impressed me. The quality of the production just seemed so high. The locations and the look were top notch. It's pretty seamless.
Sandy: I wonder how much was actually photographed in Venice.
Sandy: It's part comedy and part drama, so it doesn't ever go too dark, or ever get too silly, though the rings scene is pretty silly.
smirnoff: The rings do get kind of silly... I think it was the courtroom drama that put it at such a high level for me initially.
Sandy: You love a good court drama!
smirnoff: I do.
Sandy: as soon as the courtroom scene came up, I thought, aha! this is a smirnoff movie.
smirnoff:
It's such an interesting case... and I feel bad for Shylock.
Sandy: he is sympathetic. I think it could play both ways, depending on direction.
smirnoff: The movie starts out bad for him and ends worse... everyone else is perfectly happy though.
Sandy: therein lies the tragedy.
smirnoff: I guess so eh. To be honest I'm not as enthusiastic about the film as I once was.
Sandy: tell me more.
smirnoff: Well... I think it has a lot of strong scenes and it's as good an adaptation of this play as you could hope for... but it's not so deep as say a Hamlet. Not as rich in lessons... in good memorable lines. I value the drama, but the depths of it are familiar to me now. And it doesn't take me to the emotional extremes I look for.
Sandy: there isn't much more to mine?
smirnoff: That's right. I think I've run it as far as it will go for me.
Sandy: i've done that with some of my films too.
smirnoff: But you seeing it for the first time probably have a better feeling of my initial enthusiasm.
Sandy: yes, very much so! do you think it will stay in your top 100?
smirnoff: No I don't think it will.
Sandy: i wonder about some of mine too.
smirnoff: I have at least a couple films knocking at the door that will need to be accommodated. It's tough to make time to rewatch some things... and some things you may not want to rewatch to preserve an experience... I feel that way sometimes
Sandy: ah, i feel that sometimes too!
smirnoff: There are some I have no question about, and try to stock my list with such films, but every year I look at it and a few films the reasons for being there are lost. It's strange when a film finally runs aground. It can happen at any time.
Sandy: I see them as films that have taught me all they can, at least for now, so I lay them aside.
smirnoff: Or, alternately, can experience a renewed enthusiasm and climb higher on the list! Crouching Tiger would be a good example for recent viewings.
Sandy: nice! Are you updating your top 100 list as we speak, or is it just theories right now?
smirnoff: Just theories.
Top 20 though seems proper.
Sandy: can't wait to see it.
smirnoff: So where about is Merchant for you out of 10? I'm at like a 7 or 8
Sandy: I'm about there too, number wise. It tackles a really tricky subject, for our day and age and I'm so impressed that they could bring out both sides of the story
smirnoff: From what I understand, in its day, this was a straight comedy.
Sandy: interesting!
smirnoff: From which I take to mean, there was no intention of having sympathy for the jew
Sandy: so Shylock was a brunt of a joke?
smirnoff: yeah, exactly.
Sandy: then I am doubly impressed with what the film did
smirnoff: The director speaks about it in the commentary as I recall... the decision to make a tragedy of it... It tells you something of the times...
Sandy: yes, and here we think about the Jews being vilified in the 1930's, but this has been going on for a very, very long time.
smirnoff: Yeah... back then it's like they deserved ruin regardless of actions
Sandy: no land, no rights, then they get demonized for being money lenders.
smirnoff: Terrible right?
Sandy: trying to make their way in the world. they can't win
smirnoff: yea, What choice was there
Sandy: none
smirnoff: Interesting to learn the origin of Geto/Ghetto.
Sandy: oh! yes.
smirnoff: I love a good bit of etymological trivia. hope that's the right word.
Sandy: if you say etymological is a word, I believe you!
smirnoff: adjective: etymological relating to the origin and historical development of words and their meanings. I remember reading a book once.. it was the etymology of tons of interesting phrases and words. cool stuff.
Sandy: I'd like to read it... I read a really interesting book. Reading the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 Pages. never has the dictionary been so interesting.
smirnoff: That sounds neat. What sort of things does he uncover?
Sandy: just really fun words and his journey.
smirnoff: Sounds like it would have some funny parts.
Sandy: there are! it's been so long, I can't remember specifics, just an overall enjoyment. can you imagine doing that?
smirnoff: I guess if I knew i was going to document the experience in a book I could picture it.
Sandy: you are tenacious like that! do you remember any specifics from your book?
smirnoff: no, it was too long ago.
Sandy:
smirnoff: I remember a few times reading the Master and Commander series there was some awesome word origins which were explained. I can't remember them though now
Sandy: our minds can only hold so much!
smirnoff: yea, it's the stuff I would love to remember but can't
Sandy: you made room for other great stuff... I've learned quite a bit this evening... like, ladies don't wear shirts in Venice
smirnoff: Yeah, they really don't do they! Like almost none of them.
Sandy: nope!
Sandy: too humid, I guess
smirnoff: hah
Sandy:
smirnoff: Did you put yourself together a filmspot ballot?
Sandy: Yes, I had a little window of time today, so I threw something together. I didn't see a whole lot from 2016. Do you want to know my top movies?
smirnoff: Yea!
Sandy: can I know your top movies?
smirnoff: Sure.
Sandy:
thanks! I'd love to know ... 1. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 2. Arrival 3. Dr. Strange 4. The Lobster 5. Hidden Figures
smirnoff: 1. Hunt for the Wilderpeople 2. Sing Street 3. The Witch 4. Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru 5. Deadpool
Sandy: haha! I haven't seen yours!
smirnoff: I've seen exactly none of those films.
Sandy: hahaha
smirnoff: haha
Sandy: you and I have some catching up to do! I bet I would love your choices
smirnoff: Indeed, I should make yours a priority. Sandy approved
Sandy:
smirnoff: Rogue One eh!
Sandy: there's something really fascinating about how Arrival comes forth. Do you like star wars stuff? Wait!yeah you do! Jedi!!
smirnoff: yeah. I'm a little "hmm" on it after force awakens.
Sandy: Rogue one is what force awaken should have been
smirnoff: Oh that's good!
Sandy: i didn't like force awakens, was pretty bleh, about it
smirnoff: I was all but committed to not bothering to see rogue one after FA. Now I am excited about it! FA was bleh!
Sandy: ha! is that a good word for it?
smirnoff: It works. There were bits I liked but a lot I didn't
Sandy: If you watch it, It would be fun to talk with you about your experience
smirnoff: Will do!
Sandy:
smirnoff: What bothered you most about FA?
Sandy: it's the same story as #4
smirnoff: Yeah...
Sandy: how about you?
smirnoff: I found I didn't like almost all the parts that referenced or came from the original series.
Sandy: yep!
smirnoff: Han Solo's presence, Leia's presence, etc
Sandy: yep, yep!
smirnoff: I think there are only two things from the OS I liked. The reference to the millenium falcon as "garbage" (made me laugh), and Luke Skywalker being old and grizzled... but not in how he was used.
Sandy: the last reveal?
smirnoff: well... more that just finding him was the main goal. I liked Rey and the ex storm trooper characters.... they were a good combo... I wish they'd just kept adding new characters like that to their crew.
Sandy: yes, then you'll like rogue one! new characters! ensemble!
smirnoff: Yeah, I think I will. My only gripe is that it's not forward in the timeline, it's a prequel or whatever
Sandy: there is that. It's a piece of the puzzle
smirnoff: Also, from what I understand, Wedge Antilles isn't a character in it.
Sandy: looking him up
smirnoff: he's the unsung hero of the original series.
Sandy: aw, tell me more
smirnoff: After Skywalker destroyed the Death Star, he and Antilles were left as the only survivors of Red Squadron.
smirnoff: In the years that followed, Antilles became a respected member of Rogue Squadron, flying as Rogue Three during the Battle of Hoth. Antilles and his gunner aboard an T-47 airspeeder, Wes Janson, became the first duo to successfully destroy one of the All Terrain Armored Transports. Antilles commanded Red Squadron during the Battle of Endor, and he and General Lando Clarissian destroyed the second Death Star during the battle. That's all quoted from Wookiepedia
Sandy: have you ever played rogue squadron?
smirnoff: You bet.
Sandy: it was popular here
smirnoff: He's in every movie just kind of doing his job... not dying
Sandy: Antilles, my hero!
smirnoff: And he's even in the end of Jedi, celebrating and hugging everyone.
Sandy: side character that you love. doing his thing quietly
smirnoff: That's right. He's my guy. As a kid I didn't want to be luke, I wanted to be wedge
Sandy: of course! His picture looks familiar, but I need to see the movies again and keep an eye out for him
smirnoff: Mark Rylance would make a great old Wedge.
Sandy: aw, mark rylance has a great face!
smirnoff: wedge should be commander of the rebel fleet. not old Leia
Sandy: yeah, what was that about? She's a princess. a diplomat
smirnoff~: Yeah... it should've been wedge giving everyone the pep talk... "look I've blown up two death stars and brought down an ATAT with a tow cable".
Sandy: but smirnoff! He wouldn't toot his own horn! that would be so unlike him
smirnoff: True.. another character would utter his achievements to the guy next to him during the briefing
Sandy: yes, that's it! Hey! they should cast you! You could extol his greatness!
smirnoff: hah
Sandy: You know Empire is my favorite SWs movie and that tow cable is a liitle bit why.
smirnoff: Tow cable is pretty fun.
Sandy: yeah, so ingenious
smirnoff: Wedge is the guy who says "Whoah, that got him"
Sandy: ha! I'm SO going to watch it again, so I can see him!
Sandy: what do you think about this? Since Merchant of Venice is in our marathon, would you like me to put our mini chat in the thread? since it's not giving you as much as it used to do, impact wise? Or would you like to talk about it more extensively over time?
smirnoff: I don't know if it's worthy
Sandy:
the mini chat then?
smirnoff: I don't know that I have the enthusiasm to write more on it
Sandy: haha. I think for movies that we want to ponder on, the other way is much more fulfilling, but this movie, may just need to have a small convo for closure.
smirnoff: I think that makes sense yeah
Sandy: then when you're ready for a bigger review, we can go that route. Anytime in the future. This one is a place holder.
smirnoff:
Sandy: our marathon is active!