On this viewing, the Brendan Faser caveman cameo got me thinking about the Weasle-verse timeline. Putting them all together really tells a beautiful and complex coming-of-age story. We meet him as a wild, rebellious teenager in high school in Encino Man. He's a loyal friend with a strong moral compass who embraces individuality in a pretty bland world. While at college in Son In Law, he is no longer the outcast, but now celebrated as a free spirit slacker. He…
When work was honest and done by humans. A 9 to 5 pre-internet must've been 90% chit-chat with the people around you. I've never worked in an office but it seems like the kind of place that would only be tolerable with friends.
This movie almost had it. Probably a few years too early. The cinematography, script and overall design were close. Maybe they seem to suffer because better versions of this type of film came out after and nail those things.
There are so many correlations to be made between this and The Big Lebowski. Bone and The Dude, Walter and Cutter, J. J. Cord and Jackie Treehorn, trying to solve a mystery. The paranoia, the unreliable theories. Even the beat up car and diner scene. This could easily be a prequel. But make no mistake, this movie is dark. It's weird to have briefly lived through a time when disfigured Vietnam vets were drunk in public.
They did it again! Every single person involved crushed it. This thing starts at 11 and stays there the whole time.
Special note about the Johnny Greenwood score, which is just incredible. That car chase scene was cinematic gold.
My only note would be the title. I dont think "Vineland" would've been better, but One Battle After Another is too close to There Will Be Blood or No Country For Old Men and I keep fumbling when recalling it. I may just be old and burnt out though.
