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Author Topic: FS Fix: Revolutionary Road / Benjamin Button  (Read 3992 times)

Adam

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mañana

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Re: FS Fix: Revolutionary Road / Benjamin Button
« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2009, 01:38:07 PM »
An After Hours and 2 Filmspotting Fixes! Is anybody else as impressed with Adam and Matty's holiday output?
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Adam

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Re: FS Fix: Revolutionary Road / Benjamin Button
« Reply #2 on: January 02, 2009, 01:54:35 PM »
An After Hours and 2 Filmspotting Fixes! Is anybody else as impressed with Adam and Matty's holiday output?
Thanks. So much for 2 weeks off, huh?
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mañana

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Re: FS Fix: Revolutionary Road / Benjamin Button
« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2009, 02:29:13 PM »
An After Hours and 2 Filmspotting Fixes! Is anybody else as impressed with Adam and Matty's holiday output?
Thanks. So much for 2 weeks off, huh?

I feel bad that you neglected your family, but all this gravy Filmspotting has been a welcome break from my own.  :)
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kizik

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Re: FS Fix: Revolutionary Road / Benjamin Button
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2009, 08:44:32 PM »
An After Hours and 2 Filmspotting Fixes! Is anybody else as impressed with Adam and Matty's holiday output?
Thanks. So much for 2 weeks off, huh?

It's nice, though, to do what you love and love what you do.

PS. I love what you guys do, great Fix.

Peace Frog

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Re: FS Fix: Revolutionary Road / Benjamin Button
« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2009, 05:59:54 AM »
I'm just jumping on the thankwagon. The Filmspotting Fixes have been a much appreciated distraction from the boredom of my summer holidays.

¡Keith!

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Re: FS Fix: Revolutionary Road / Benjamin Button
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2009, 02:38:25 AM »
Finally got around to hearing this today.  Glad I did.  When I first saw Rev Road my thoughts were similar to Matty's but the more I think about it the more I realize that everything that is wrong with the film is intentional.  The talent involved in the film its at a level where I just don't see mistakes like this happening.

The film never feels right and I think this is the way its meant to be - Deakins' high-key lighting is all wrong, Adam's mentioning of bookishness of the dialogue and the lack of connection to the characters, the set design has a slightly off feel that really just doesn't feel right, even that first shot of NYC that looks like it could've been shot last night as opposed to 1947.  I think Mendes is trying to show us that there is something wrong about this world beyond what you mention as the phoniness of the characters and make the viewer recoil from this whole world and its remarkably effective.  This is a staged & scripted world and Mendes stages and scripts his film similarly - the wonderful Pleasantville comes to mind but Mendes does it without the wink & nod.

Mendes does not cast Leo, Kate & Kathy.  He casts Jack, Rose & the unsinkable Molly Brown - surely this cannot be simple coincidence.  We don't need a set-up because we know this couple and he places their six hundred million dollar grossing epic romance and their follow their own rules love into this frightening world of conformity and he has them drown all over again but for the opposite reasons.  He's playing off our own cultural baggage. 

Thor

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Re: FS Fix: Revolutionary Road / Benjamin Button
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2009, 09:23:09 AM »
Finally got around to hearing this today.  Glad I did.  When I first saw Rev Road my thoughts were similar to Matty's but the more I think about it the more I realize that everything that is wrong with the film is intentional.  The talent involved in the film its at a level where I just don't see mistakes like this happening.

The film never feels right and I think this is the way its meant to be - Deakins' high-key lighting is all wrong, Adam's mentioning of bookishness of the dialogue and the lack of connection to the characters, the set design has a slightly off feel that really just doesn't feel right, even that first shot of NYC that looks like it could've been shot last night as opposed to 1947.  I think Mendes is trying to show us that there is something wrong about this world beyond what you mention as the phoniness of the characters and make the viewer recoil from this whole world and its remarkably effective.  This is a staged & scripted world and Mendes stages and scripts his film similarly - the wonderful Pleasantville comes to mind but Mendes does it without the wink & nod.

Mendes does not cast Leo, Kate & Kathy.  He casts Jack, Rose & the unsinkable Molly Brown - surely this cannot be simple coincidence.  We don't need a set-up because we know this couple and he places their six hundred million dollar grossing epic romance and their follow their own rules love into this frightening world of conformity and he has them drown all over again but for the opposite reasons.  He's playing off our own cultural baggage. 

Haven't seen the film yet, but really like this reading, Keith. Sounds like a very bold risk to take by the crew. My only thought is, if it was intentional, wouldn't they have played-up this clever idea in the publicity, press notes etc for the film, so that it wasn't misinterpreted?
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¡Keith!

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Re: FS Fix: Revolutionary Road / Benjamin Button
« Reply #8 on: January 16, 2009, 01:51:42 PM »
Finally got around to hearing this today.  Glad I did.  When I first saw Rev Road my thoughts were similar to Matty's but the more I think about it the more I realize that everything that is wrong with the film is intentional.  The talent involved in the film its at a level where I just don't see mistakes like this happening.

The film never feels right and I think this is the way its meant to be - Deakins' high-key lighting is all wrong, Adam's mentioning of bookishness of the dialogue and the lack of connection to the characters, the set design has a slightly off feel that really just doesn't feel right, even that first shot of NYC that looks like it could've been shot last night as opposed to 1947.  I think Mendes is trying to show us that there is something wrong about this world beyond what you mention as the phoniness of the characters and make the viewer recoil from this whole world and its remarkably effective.  This is a staged & scripted world and Mendes stages and scripts his film similarly - the wonderful Pleasantville comes to mind but Mendes does it without the wink & nod.

Mendes does not cast Leo, Kate & Kathy.  He casts Jack, Rose & the unsinkable Molly Brown - surely this cannot be simple coincidence.  We don't need a set-up because we know this couple and he places their six hundred million dollar grossing epic romance and their follow their own rules love into this frightening world of conformity and he has them drown all over again but for the opposite reasons.  He's playing off our own cultural baggage. 

Haven't seen the film yet, but really like this reading, Keith. Sounds like a very bold risk to take by the crew. My only thought is, if it was intentional, wouldn't they have played-up this clever idea in the publicity, press notes etc for the film, so that it wasn't misinterpreted?

Well I'm not sure that a studio would really appreciate a filmmaker coming out and say "i was trying to make you uncomfortable with this film." on a press junket.  It seems that would work against selling the film - especially a high profile oscar bait style release as this.  I haven't read any interviews with the cast or crew so I actually don;t know what they are saying - seems like there was a Charlie Rose episode earlier this week with Mendes so maybe i'll check that out.

A lot of directors (unlike the amazingly forthcoming Mr. Sodaberg) don't like to talk about their intentions and just let the work stand on its own - Kubrick, PT, even Spielberg can be evasive in interviews or commentary tracks (or not do them at all) much like songwriters who realize that once the text is out there their intent may have little to do with the interpretation. 

thatguy_sam

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Re: FS Fix: Revolutionary Road / Benjamin Button
« Reply #9 on: January 19, 2009, 01:29:12 PM »
Finally got around to checking out Benjamin Button (considering its only been out here like a week, thats not to bad) and honestly, i dont know what to say about this film.

I totally agree with the comments Adam and Matty made about the fact that Benjamin Himself isnt exactly the most interesting character but i dont think thats the point of the movie, the point is that because of his unusual condition, he was able to come into contact with all these people. I saw his condition really as more of a plot device than the storyline.

Plus, the film kind of dragged on, we went into the theatre expecting a maybe 2 hours tops movie, only to sit in the theatre for almost 3! And there were clearly things that werent important to the story at all thrown in just to keep you interested, like the man who had been struck by lightning seven times, just recounting how they happened. Complete and utter filler and unneccessary
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