Post by Martin Stett on Jun 20, 2017 4:17:19 GMT
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) -- A thoroughly depressing portrait of depression. I wasn't expecting anything so downbeat and dreary at all, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well it handled these themes. Once I saw Charlie Kaufman's name on the screenplay it all made sense, of course. 7/10
Death Parade (2015 TV Series) -- Damn that incredible theme song and opening sequence! It lured me into a flat mystery show devoid of any personality, with characters that lay out the themes on the table instead of letting the story explore them. 4/10, although the opening credits get 10/10 because chain dancing.
Magnificent Obsession (1954) -- This movie was over-the-top and silly, sure, but that wasn't enough to save it from a story that still manages to be boring despite the great pains it takes to be utterly insane. The characters are just so... dull. 5/10
Split (2016) -- What makes Shyamalan special for me is that he takes ideas that absolutely shouldn't work... and then he writes characters to actually care about and sympathize with, all while the story doesn't work on a logical level. I've never cared, because I always connect with the people in the story. And that is what's important. Although the child abuse stuff is a bit cheap as a sympathy ploy, it still manages to work because both Casey and Hedwig/Kevin/Barry/etc. are granted dignity (and uncommon intelligence -- how often do characters figure out important plot points in this movie by listening to someone else talk?) by the script. They aren't just victim/torturer. They're people who have emotions and desires of their own that don't fit into a perfect box like most movie characters. There are so many logical problems with the way Kevin is portrayed that M. Night haters will get their rocks off playing the "point the plot flaw" drinking game, but it doesn't matter for me. 8/10
Death Parade (2015 TV Series) -- Damn that incredible theme song and opening sequence! It lured me into a flat mystery show devoid of any personality, with characters that lay out the themes on the table instead of letting the story explore them. 4/10, although the opening credits get 10/10 because chain dancing.
Magnificent Obsession (1954) -- This movie was over-the-top and silly, sure, but that wasn't enough to save it from a story that still manages to be boring despite the great pains it takes to be utterly insane. The characters are just so... dull. 5/10
Split (2016) -- What makes Shyamalan special for me is that he takes ideas that absolutely shouldn't work... and then he writes characters to actually care about and sympathize with, all while the story doesn't work on a logical level. I've never cared, because I always connect with the people in the story. And that is what's important. Although the child abuse stuff is a bit cheap as a sympathy ploy, it still manages to work because both Casey and Hedwig/Kevin/Barry/etc. are granted dignity (and uncommon intelligence -- how often do characters figure out important plot points in this movie by listening to someone else talk?) by the script. They aren't just victim/torturer. They're people who have emotions and desires of their own that don't fit into a perfect box like most movie characters. There are so many logical problems with the way Kevin is portrayed that M. Night haters will get their rocks off playing the "point the plot flaw" drinking game, but it doesn't matter for me. 8/10
