(no subject)
I must expound on my previous post, as I watched the movie a second time with the significant other, read a few reviews and am able to put my ideas into better words.
This film is character driven. Very. Dunst's character included. And one must decide if Bloom is simply spending a lot of time just standing around with no expression because he can't act or because Crowe simply can't direct....OR....if the dilemma (or dilemmas!) his character is facing is keeping him introspective and really unable to react to the barrage of things going on around him. Later, the character is able to finally let go of his pent-up emotions while on the road-trip with his father's urn beside him, coming to terms with the father he never knew, his failure as a professional and finding the renewal that comes with seeing how much is still out there for him to learn about and love.
The soundtrack alone is a character, each song presenting itself in every scene to set the stage for mood. I had flashbacks of Harold and Maude (a feeling the director was in fact shooting for). And Garden State. Both are excellent films. That I own. God I'm a geek.
Is it a story of pessimism versus optimism? Perhaps. Is it a love story? Perhaps. Is it a coming-of-age for the twenty-something story? Perhaps. And perhaps, it is all those things. I myself have spent my twenties (and thirties) embroiled in my own life. It made me consider what I haven't done and said to my parents, my sister, my friends --- and how I might feel should I miss the opportunity because of my own selfishness. Film-goers will find a character and bond with it. Baylor. Coburn. Jessie. Mom Baylor. Or perhaps a combination. There's something for everyone to identify with. And if you don't, you completely missed the point.
I read many reviews that said Bloom proved he can't carry a film, and I don't think that's entirely fair. The movie as a whole dictates how the leads will be perceived. Perspective, folks. Bloom's accent slips on many occassions and makes his diction rather muddled. Dipthongs are ugly in American English. That's gotta be tough. All things considered, I think both leads did rather well in a very poignant, charming film about the complexities of life, love and family.
This film is character driven. Very. Dunst's character included. And one must decide if Bloom is simply spending a lot of time just standing around with no expression because he can't act or because Crowe simply can't direct....OR....if the dilemma (or dilemmas!) his character is facing is keeping him introspective and really unable to react to the barrage of things going on around him. Later, the character is able to finally let go of his pent-up emotions while on the road-trip with his father's urn beside him, coming to terms with the father he never knew, his failure as a professional and finding the renewal that comes with seeing how much is still out there for him to learn about and love.
The soundtrack alone is a character, each song presenting itself in every scene to set the stage for mood. I had flashbacks of Harold and Maude (a feeling the director was in fact shooting for). And Garden State. Both are excellent films. That I own. God I'm a geek.
Is it a story of pessimism versus optimism? Perhaps. Is it a love story? Perhaps. Is it a coming-of-age for the twenty-something story? Perhaps. And perhaps, it is all those things. I myself have spent my twenties (and thirties) embroiled in my own life. It made me consider what I haven't done and said to my parents, my sister, my friends --- and how I might feel should I miss the opportunity because of my own selfishness. Film-goers will find a character and bond with it. Baylor. Coburn. Jessie. Mom Baylor. Or perhaps a combination. There's something for everyone to identify with. And if you don't, you completely missed the point.
I read many reviews that said Bloom proved he can't carry a film, and I don't think that's entirely fair. The movie as a whole dictates how the leads will be perceived. Perspective, folks. Bloom's accent slips on many occassions and makes his diction rather muddled. Dipthongs are ugly in American English. That's gotta be tough. All things considered, I think both leads did rather well in a very poignant, charming film about the complexities of life, love and family.
