love

Author Topic: 10 Cloverfield Lane  (Read 9379 times)

Junior

  • Bert Macklin, FBI
  • Global Moderator
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 28709
  • What's the rumpus?
    • Benefits of a Classical Education
Re: 10 Cloverfield Lane
« Reply #10 on: March 23, 2016, 06:42:26 PM »
I wonder if people's dissatisfaction with the ending comes from the idea that she's already defeated a pretty formidable opponent, a quite negative example of the human race. Perhaps the aliens aren't enough of an escalation from John Goodman. I can't account, then, for my enjoyment of the ending other than that I thought the action was well executed and I liked the alien design a good deal.
Check out my blog of many topics

“I’m not a quitter, Kimmy! I watched Interstellar all the way to the end!”

JakeIsntFake

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 959
  • Nothing that a few mega-vitamins couldn't cure
    • 2015 Watchlist
Re: 10 Cloverfield Lane
« Reply #11 on: March 23, 2016, 06:58:51 PM »
I wonder if people's dissatisfaction with the ending comes from the idea that she's already defeated a pretty formidable opponent, a quite negative example of the human race.

Moreover, the film became more and more asymetric for me as it went on after her escape/Goodman's demise. That "small-scale plot" that myself and most others enjoyed so much within the film unfurled and then concluded, only for more to be tacked on. I concede; a larger conclusion of sorts is needed, but I was left bewildered.
What a world
"The detail of the pattern is movement"
ICheckMovies
Top 40

tinyholidays

  • Elite Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 3715
  • It's a hard world for little things.
Re: 10 Cloverfield Lane
« Reply #12 on: March 26, 2016, 10:12:43 AM »
I loved the section in the bunker, and I was fine with the part outside. Actually, I was prepared for her to die in the bunker explosion, but I'm always looking for the bleakest possible ending.

John Goodman had me laughing so much. The princess line, and the way he ate that ice cream. What a treasure. I also really like how after Emmett's gone he shaves.

I spent the whole movie trying to figure out where I knew Emmett's actor (John Gallagher Jr.), and I had to look him up to find that he was the love interest in Short Term 12. This guy's one to watch.

The ending was disappointing in my opinion unless I missed some twist element. 

Did her choosing one city over the other at the end mean anything?  My general take from the ending was yes, there are aliens and Goodman is also a monster.  Anything else to take from the ending?

Wolf, I think the idea is that the woman on the radio is asking for help, and Michelle had the scene earlier in the movie where she described not helping a little girl, and how it was her regret. Then Emmett sacrifices himself for her, and she sees the bus ticket in his wallet, a reminder of his regret. So, now that she's out and alive, she's fulfilling her regret by helping those in need.

St. Martin the Bald

  • Lurker
  • Global Moderator
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 11205
Re: 10 Cloverfield Lane
« Reply #13 on: March 26, 2016, 12:20:28 PM »
What tiny said ^^^^^
Hey, nice marmot!

Larry Gopnik

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 7
    • Home page
Re: 10 Cloverfield Lane
« Reply #14 on: April 06, 2016, 02:36:59 PM »
I wonder if people's dissatisfaction with the ending comes from the idea that she's already defeated a pretty formidable opponent, a quite negative example of the human race.

Moreover, the film became more and more asymetric for me as it went on after her escape/Goodman's demise. That "small-scale plot" that myself and most others enjoyed so much within the film unfurled and then concluded, only for more to be tacked on. I concede; a larger conclusion of sorts is needed, but I was left bewildered.

That was certainly my reaction. The tension had been so deftly ratcheted up in the bunker, that the relief of her escape was the perfect climax. After all that had been released, there wasn't a whole lot engaging about the UFO stuff - even if the revelation of the aliens was remarked upon with a hilariously loud "chuffin' hell" by the gentleman sat beside me in the cinema.

sdb_1970

  • Elite Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2294
Re: 10 Cloverfield Lane
« Reply #15 on: April 06, 2016, 03:24:00 PM »
I wonder if people's dissatisfaction with the ending comes from the idea that she's already defeated a pretty formidable opponent, a quite negative example of the human race.

Moreover, the film became more and more asymetric for me as it went on after her escape/Goodman's demise. That "small-scale plot" that myself and most others enjoyed so much within the film unfurled and then concluded, only for more to be tacked on. I concede; a larger conclusion of sorts is needed, but I was left bewildered.


That was certainly my reaction. The tension had been so deftly ratcheted up in the bunker, that the relief of her escape was the perfect climax. After all that had been released, there wasn't a whole lot engaging about the UFO stuff - even if the revelation of the aliens was remarked upon with a hilariously loud "chuffin' hell" by the gentleman sat beside me in the cinema.

I didn't have a problem with the idea of the ending.  What I had a problem with was the over-the-top execution - I felt like I was taken out of this wonderful little chamber thriller dropped into a cram-as-much-action/CGI-into-12-minutes-as-possible summer blockbuster.  First she's out of her protective suit, then she's running/hiding from the creature dropped from the ship, then she's back in her suit and avoiding the spaceship (so that creature is not chasing her anymore?), then she's being picked up by the ship in the truck (why didn't the ship go after her to begin with?) .. and by the time she throws the molotov cocktail into the mouth (?) of the ship, I'm rolling my eyes.  I mean, was all of that really necessary to convey that idea?
« Last Edit: April 06, 2016, 03:39:07 PM by sdb_1970 »
letterboxd

[insert pithy expression of false modesty here]

Junior

  • Bert Macklin, FBI
  • Global Moderator
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 28709
  • What's the rumpus?
    • Benefits of a Classical Education
Re: 10 Cloverfield Lane
« Reply #16 on: April 06, 2016, 03:53:00 PM »
Yes, from a character development perspective, she starts a runner and, without the ending, she would have ended the movie a runner. She fights back against the aliens, and then she makes the deliberate choice to go to Houston to fight some more. She sees the futility of running (there will always be more monsters), and understands the need to fight.
Check out my blog of many topics

“I’m not a quitter, Kimmy! I watched Interstellar all the way to the end!”

Melvil

  • Godfather
  • *****
  • Posts: 9977
  • Eek
Re: 10 Cloverfield Lane
« Reply #17 on: April 06, 2016, 06:11:15 PM »
I'm a big fan of this one. I'm still somewhat annoyed that it was encumbered with the Cloverfield burden, and I think I probably would have been less certain about the way things would go without it, but whatever, as a marketing decision I'm sure it's helped it be successful and that's cool.

Like everyone else has said, the cast is so good. John Goodman is just the best, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead deserves all of the praise for not being overshadowed by him.

I have a couple of issues with the execution of the ending, but I'm totally on board with the change of pace it presents. I think the moments when she first exits the bunker and goes through all sorts of emotions before seeing the ship in the distance, a surprisingly understated moment before what it leads to - was all extremely smart. After that I liked some of the decisions less, but not enough to ruin it for me.

Smart is the word I would use to describe most of the movie. It's nice and tight and clever, perhaps to a fault. Everything that happens in the movie, everything the characters talk about, it all has such an identifiable purpose that it starts to feel contrived, no matter how well executed. I think it's the biggest weakness of Trachtenberg's direction as a first timer (which is otherwise very strong), but I'll be very interested to see what his next project is.

St. Martin the Bald

  • Lurker
  • Global Moderator
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 11205
Re: 10 Cloverfield Lane
« Reply #18 on: April 07, 2016, 12:01:06 AM »
I like that a little more of the Cloverfields mystery was revealed.
So it wasn't a monster from the depths of the sea that rampaged in NY - it was the beginnings of an alien invasion. 
I love the idea of telling the stories around the main story.
Like the aliens are a giant meta-macguffin.
Hey, nice marmot!

Fugee

  • Elite Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1335
Re: 10 Cloverfield Lane
« Reply #19 on: April 07, 2016, 09:01:03 PM »
I like that a little more of the Cloverfields mystery was revealed.
So it wasn't a monster from the depths of the sea that rampaged in NY - it was the beginnings of an alien invasion. 
I love the idea of telling the stories around the main story.
Like the aliens are a giant meta-macguffin.

The film isn't directly related to Cloverfield in that way, though.

Quote
those characters and that monster are not in this movie, but there are other characters and other monsters. It’s a very different story, but it is a spiritual successor to that movie.
http://www.ew.com/article/2016/02/26/jj-abrams-10-cloverfield-lane-interview