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Author Topic: 1SO vs. the 00s Rebuttal Marathon  (Read 85518 times)

1SO

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Re: 1SO vs. the 00s Rebuttal Marathon - Taxidermia
« Reply #20 on: May 31, 2010, 01:36:18 AM »
Rebuttal Marathon Update




Taxidermia

With the more widely accepted films coming up later in the marathon, I know that if I disagree with public opinion I'll need to craft a strong counter-argument.  With a film like Taxidermia, I'm sure it's near and dear to ¡Keith!, which is why he recommended it.  So I don't feel the need to destroy it in a damningly negative review.  The film aims for something, taking a very bold risk.  It's a provocative film to say the least and should hold onto what support it maintains around here.  Some films are slam dunk recommendations, but Taxidermia is a wild card pick no matter how you try to sell it.

I found it to be grotesque to a bombastic degree.  The message got lost in the unending sequences of body horror.  I've seen this approach work.  The Tin Drum is a masterpiece of absurdism with a fair amount of body comedy.  Larry Clark's Bully contains a jaw-dropping amount of young flesh on display for seemingly little reason.  Yet I love Bully and think the rampant casual nudity paints a clear picture of the moral vacuum the people existed in.  

I did not love Taxidermia.  I didn't even like it.  (I see that Bondo didn't either.)  But I can't say that others won't, as ¡Keith! (and the 83 on Metacritic) will attest to.

Bondo

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Re: 1SO vs. the 00s Rebuttal Marathon - Taxidermia
« Reply #21 on: May 31, 2010, 08:48:39 AM »
I did not love Taxidermia.  I didn't even like it.  (I see that Bondo didn't either.)  But I can't say that others won't, as ¡Keith! (and the 83 on Metacritic) will attest to.

Not that anyone is ever surprised when I don't like something :). I get the sense that maybe if the film had wandered toward the grotesque rather than starting so fulling amid it then maybe it would engender a bit more good will from me. I've liked a lot of perverse stuff in my days (I kind of liked Bully too) but I'd like to be able to assuage my guilt by being able to latch onto some form of redemptive message, having the awful things be in the way of a lesson of some sort.

Like, I can almost get the sense of period here, with the WWII era soldier (rigid class/rank), the communist era speed eater (national pride), and the modern day taxidermist (possession? nostalgia and attempts to hang onto the past and its glories?). It almost seems like a story of the progression from feudal to communist to capitalist in its vague way; but I don't care for vague, especially when I'm being told to accept bombast. I'm kind of trying to reach for meaning here.

Also, too, it insists upon itself.

pixote

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Re: 1SO vs. the 00s Rebuttal Marathon
« Reply #22 on: May 31, 2010, 08:55:04 AM »
It All Starts Today > The Class > To Be and to Have

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¡Keith!

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Re: 1SO vs. the 00s Rebuttal Marathon - Taxidermia
« Reply #23 on: June 01, 2010, 03:55:34 PM »
Also, too, it insists upon itself.

 :D

Yeah, I really appreciated the film as I do find some love in the shock but as you can tell by my tentative attempt to sell it to you destroying it won't really hurt my feelings. I know what it is and why you would hate it.

mañana

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Re: 1SO vs. the 00s Rebuttal Marathon
« Reply #24 on: June 03, 2010, 02:22:10 PM »
It All Starts Today
A Coolio song would have improved that film.

(I haven't actually seen it)
There's no deceit in the cauliflower.

1SO

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Re: 1SO vs. the 00s Rebuttal Marathon - Dans Paris
« Reply #25 on: June 04, 2010, 01:39:41 AM »
Rebuttal Marathon Update



Dans Paris

Quote from: ¡Keith!
Christophe Honoré is an extremely idiosyncratic filmmaker - he's in love with film and rhythm.  There is dancing and singing and partially dressed attractive young people and a whole lot of effortless cool.

I can agree with what you're saying.  There's a fresh attitude at work here and the opening monologue from the French Robert Pattenson (pictured above) set me up for something neat.  But the extended flashback, tracking the decline of the brother's relationship frustrated me a lot.  I got what Honoré was going for with scenes that would careen wildly between love, hate and indifference, but the emotional transitions were often too abrupt, like I was watching a couple of sadistic nymphomaniacs.  Then there were the jump cut edits which further complicated the emotional arcs, sometimes completely obliterating any transition between love and hate.  The bitter icing on the cake was how often I despised Paul's behavior.  As the main story takes hold, we watch him brood and I can only think back to how poorly he treated Anna.  Real hard to feel sorry for him.

I also can't quite say I got Jonathan's story.  He's worried that his brother may attempt suicide and makes a game that will force his brooding brother out of the house.  Then he's distracted by the joy of casual sex.  Multiple times.  (How French?)  Was this his way of coping?  Did he no longer care?  He seemed confident that Paul would be fine and just went off having fun.

The best scene by far (and it really came out of nowhere) was the musical duet.  It doesn't hold a candle to any of the songs in Once, but for this film it was very nice.  Overall, I'd hope for a more honest blend of Scenes From a Marriage and Three Colours: White.

I'll be skipping Honoré's Love Songs.
« Last Edit: June 04, 2010, 01:41:15 AM by 1SO »

tinyholidays

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Re: 1SO vs. the 00s Rebuttal Marathon - Dans Paris
« Reply #26 on: June 04, 2010, 01:42:03 AM »
The best scene by far (and it really came out of nowhere) was the musical duet.  It doesn't hold a candle to any of the songs in Once, but for this film it was very nice.  Overall, I'd hope for a more honest blend of Scenes From a Marriage and Three Colours: White.

Oui, tu as raison. Definitely the best scene, definitely totally random.

oldkid

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Re: 1SO vs. the 00s Rebuttal Marathon
« Reply #27 on: June 04, 2010, 02:23:06 AM »
Just a supportive note: I like this marathon possibly better than your last one.  Great, honest opinions.
"It's not art unless it has the potential to be a disaster." Bansky

¡Keith!

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Re: 1SO vs. the 00s Rebuttal Marathon
« Reply #28 on: June 04, 2010, 09:55:32 AM »
0-2, shucks. ;)  not exactly underhand pitches I was tossing up for these two though.  Thanks for giving them a look.  Think the next couple will go over better.

Bondo

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Re: 1SO vs. the 00s Rebuttal Marathon
« Reply #29 on: June 04, 2010, 10:21:48 AM »
I think it goes without saying that I like a marathon that isn't unrelentingly positive. Until you get to my picks, of course :D