Javi
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Post by Javi on Mar 20, 2021 1:59:06 GMT
There's one of these every year I guess. Glib, self-satisfied and unrelentingly monotone, it checks all the boxes for your average Best Screenplay Oscar (Get Out and Jojo Rabbit, make room for your little sis). This is probably what would happen if a less talented Tarantino had a social conscience. Not a pretty sight. The premise is pure trash, but trash has given us amazing movies before; it's how you sculpt it and how you present it that matters, and Fennell does none of the former and sticks to a bubblegum Barbie avenger aura for the latter. (And Fennell is no Sofia Coppola-type wizard to pull that off). It might be the desperation to be funny and dangerous that makes this a sad little affair, because it's never really either of those things. Carey Mulligan projects meekness even when she goes "bad"; this has to be one of the least convincing "avengers" in recent memory. The role is begging for star quality; it's the one thing that could make it work. Also, for such an obviously MeToo-era narrative as this, the movie has no real connection to the present world or to any reality other than its own bubble. Characters so thin they might as well die when Fennell cuts to the next scene. It's only thematically that the movie appeals for relevance. If I sound harsh, well maybe "rape-revenge" is a shitty sub-genre by nature, and/or not my cup of tea... but I'll take Elle and Isabelle Huppert, over this any day thank you very much-- that's how you do fucked up material with aplomb.
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Post by ibbi on Mar 20, 2021 17:35:15 GMT
There's one of these every year I guess. Glib, self-satisfied and unrelentingly monotone, it checks all the boxes for your average Best Screenplay Oscar (Get Out and Jojo Rabbit, make room for your little sis). This is probably what would happen if a less talented Tarantino had a social conscience. Not a pretty sight. The premise is pure trash, but trash has given us amazing movies before; it's how you sculpt it and how you present it that matters, and Fennell does none of the former and sticks to a bubblegum Barbie avenger aura for the latter. (And Fennell is no Sofia Coppola-type wizard to pull that off). It might be the desperation to be funny and dangerous that makes this a sad little affair, because it's never really either of those things. Carey Mulligan projects meekness even when she goes "bad"; this has to be one of the least convincing "avengers" in recent memory. The role is begging for star quality; it's the one thing that could make it work. Also, for such an obviously MeToo-era narrative as this, the movie has no real connection to the present world or to any reality other than its own bubble. Characters so thin they might as well die when Fennell cuts to the next scene. It's only thematically that the movie appeals for relevance. If I sound harsh, well maybe "rape-revenge" is a shitty sub-genre by nature, and/or not my cup of tea... but I'll take Elle and Isabelle Huppert, over this any day thank you very much-- that's how you do fucked up material with aplomb. ...Javi?
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Javi
Badass
Posts: 1,535
Likes: 1,626
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Post by Javi on Mar 20, 2021 17:43:06 GMT
Of course, you magnificent bastard
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Post by dadsburgers on Mar 22, 2021 3:16:24 GMT
Finally saw this.
Really loved the concept and most of the execution. A lot of the dialogue was so on the nose it was a little hard to take seriously though. I agree with most reviews that the twists and turns worked great, and Carey Mulligan was fantastic. This is the most competitive Best Actress Oscar race I've ever seen-- all five nominees deserve their spots and any of them would deserve the win.
I'd be happy if Mulligan wins the Oscar (not sure who I'm rooting for yet though- I hope it's a tie), honestly not sure about the screenplay though. As original as it is, I have such big issues with some of the dialogue. Can't say I prefer Sorkin's though, so I wouldn't be too upset.
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flasuss
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Posts: 1,830
Likes: 1,615
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Post by flasuss on Mar 24, 2021 2:05:26 GMT
Finally got to see this, and in this day and age, is good to see something that lives to the hype. It's impressive not just in writing, but also Fennell's choices- she films this almost like a romantic comedy (the pop songs, the candy colored aesthetic, the cute romance) with a very, very dark undertone. And that ending, oh my. I don't remember one in recent memory that packed such a punch. And Carey Mulligan should have been an Oscar winner already for An Education, so this one she better get it- the right amount of determined, scary, funny and vulnerable. It just seems alien to me how anyone can prefer Davis' (supporting) performance over this (Kirby would be a worthy winner, though- haven't seen the others). Am I insane or is the reveal about Bo Burnham's character one of the biggest gut punches in recent memory? I suspected something like this was coming, but doesn't matter because Mulligan reaction delivers it the punch.
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Post by bob-coppola on Mar 25, 2021 15:21:48 GMT
I was watching some a Rooney Mara interview in which she talks about wanting to do a black comedy, and it hit me that she'd play Cassie so damn well. The deadpan snark, the dark undertones... And the whole pinky aesthetic, it'd be such a departure but also right up her alley, don't you think?
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Post by Allenism on Mar 25, 2021 17:23:05 GMT
I was watching some a Rooney Mara interview in which she talks about wanting to do a black comedy, and it hit me that she'd play Cassie so damn well. The deadpan snark, the dark undertones... And the whole pinky aesthetic, it'd be such a departure but also right up her alley, don't you think? IMO Mara is too charisma-deficient and spectrumy for this type of character.
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LaraQ
Badass
English Rose
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Post by LaraQ on Mar 25, 2021 17:36:32 GMT
I was watching some a Rooney Mara interview in which she talks about wanting to do a black comedy, and it hit me that she'd play Cassie so damn well. The deadpan snark, the dark undertones... And the whole pinky aesthetic, it'd be such a departure but also right up her alley, don't you think? I don't see it.She lacks the warmth for this particular role.
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feesy
New Member
Posts: 10
Likes: 5
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Post by feesy on Mar 25, 2021 21:40:25 GMT
Loved every bit of this movie. It feels like there's so many layers to it, to Cassandra and there's a ton of themes it goes through as well but I feel like everything was handled well. I liked how everything unfolded and some of the and the subversion of expectations in the first few scenes. Mulligan is incredible too. Really glad I watched it. Almost wanna give it a 10/10, but I almost feel like I need to see it again.
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Post by ireallyamsomething on Mar 26, 2021 22:23:01 GMT
There's a lot I liked about the movie - the ambitious blending of genres, being constantly engaging, Mulligan's performance, one moment which was totally unexpected and elevated the film to another level....but I think it fell short of greatness due to the last few minutes which seemed sort of like a Hays code-enforced ending. I thought it'd have been more impactful for me if the movie had ended with the wedding sequence and everyone swell at the party. Maybe I could give it another watch someday, but yeah, I'm a bit iffy about the ending. And also some of the writing, which could have been a bit more nuanced (though I understand they were probably going for a comedic tone too).
To its credit, PYW has been one of the films that I've thought about and discussed the most (both positives and negatives) so that's something.
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Post by Martin Stett on Feb 13, 2022 1:56:12 GMT
There's one of these every year I guess. Glib, self-satisfied and unrelentingly monotone, it checks all the boxes for your average Best Screenplay Oscar (Get Out and Jojo Rabbit, make room for your little sis). This is probably what would happen if a less talented Tarantino had a social conscience. Not a pretty sight. The premise is pure trash, but trash has given us amazing movies before; it's how you sculpt it and how you present it that matters, and Fennell does none of the former and sticks to a bubblegum Barbie avenger aura for the latter. (And Fennell is no Sofia Coppola-type wizard to pull that off). It might be the desperation to be funny and dangerous that makes this a sad little affair, because it's never really either of those things. Carey Mulligan projects meekness even when she goes "bad"; this has to be one of the least convincing "avengers" in recent memory. The role is begging for star quality; it's the one thing that could make it work. Also, for such an obviously MeToo-era narrative as this, the movie has no real connection to the present world or to any reality other than its own bubble. Characters so thin they might as well die when Fennell cuts to the next scene. It's only thematically that the movie appeals for relevance. If I sound harsh, well maybe "rape-revenge" is a shitty sub-genre by nature, and/or not my cup of tea... but I'll take Elle and Isabelle Huppert, over this any day thank you very much-- that's how you do fucked up material with aplomb. 100% this. This is a movie that wants credit for having the right viewpoint, and it is so fucking on-the-nose, so preachy, so monotone, so predictable and fucking boring. Social justice movies made by hacks are still made by hacks. Give me a social justice film by someone talented - Ken Loach doing anything, or Quentin Tarantino doing The Hateful Eight - and I'll be totally on board. This ain't it.
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