Monday, August 07, 2006
On Saturday I went to see "Atomised".
I wasn't supposed to see "Atomised" this Saturday. What I was supposed to see was "The Notorious Bettie Page", but for reasons best known to themselves, the distributors pulled the film from all cinemas outside London and Scotland. Birmingham not sophisticated enough, I suppose?
Bastards!
Anyway... "Atomised".
"Atomised" has had stinking reviews in this country. They say that it is dour, miserable, painfully and obviously controversial, explicit for it's own sake and wallowing in it's own filth and nastiness. Sounds like just the kind of film that I would like to see, yes?
Actually, I wouldn't disagree with any of the above, but what I would say is that the reviewers' seem to have missed the mile wide streak of black comedy that runs all of the way through "Atomised". Yes it is shocking and unnecessary, but sometimes it is very funny indeed. I laughed a lot (but nobody else in the cinema did - oops!) It even has a happy ending of sorts.
Anybody remember a film called "Bad Boy Bubby"? I think it is a classic. I you liked that film I would definitely recommend "Atomised" to you. Definitely different from the run of mediocre summer blockbusters we have been subjected to this year.
On Sunday Lorraine and I went to see "Cars".
I enjoyed "Cars", but it was exactly what I expected. There were no surprises whatsoever. Actually, that sounds a bit critical. I did enjoy "Cars" and Lorraine absolutely loved it. She wants to buy "Cars" on DVD when it comes out later this year.
"Cars" looks amazing, the voice cast is perfectly... Er... cast, the script is funny and self knowing and there is a bit of social commentary for the adults in the audience, all about the effect that the construction of the freeways had on the livelihood's of thousands of small towns across the U.S.A. (Funnily enough, when we got back to the house "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" was on Sky Movies, and that has a whole subplot about the nefarious scheme of the villain to build a freeway straight through Toontown. I seem to remember that "L. A. Confidential" also mentions the construction of the freeways as a bad turning point in the development of Los Angeles. Do American's think of the freeways as a scar on the American psyche? I'd be interested in anybody's comment on that.)
"Cars" is quite a long film for kids (nearly two hours), but I was not bored, and the gang of small children in the row ahead of us were all entranced. You can't ask for much more from a kids film.
I wasn't supposed to see "Atomised" this Saturday. What I was supposed to see was "The Notorious Bettie Page", but for reasons best known to themselves, the distributors pulled the film from all cinemas outside London and Scotland. Birmingham not sophisticated enough, I suppose?
Bastards!
Anyway... "Atomised".
"Atomised" has had stinking reviews in this country. They say that it is dour, miserable, painfully and obviously controversial, explicit for it's own sake and wallowing in it's own filth and nastiness. Sounds like just the kind of film that I would like to see, yes?
Actually, I wouldn't disagree with any of the above, but what I would say is that the reviewers' seem to have missed the mile wide streak of black comedy that runs all of the way through "Atomised". Yes it is shocking and unnecessary, but sometimes it is very funny indeed. I laughed a lot (but nobody else in the cinema did - oops!) It even has a happy ending of sorts.
Anybody remember a film called "Bad Boy Bubby"? I think it is a classic. I you liked that film I would definitely recommend "Atomised" to you. Definitely different from the run of mediocre summer blockbusters we have been subjected to this year.
On Sunday Lorraine and I went to see "Cars".
I enjoyed "Cars", but it was exactly what I expected. There were no surprises whatsoever. Actually, that sounds a bit critical. I did enjoy "Cars" and Lorraine absolutely loved it. She wants to buy "Cars" on DVD when it comes out later this year.
"Cars" looks amazing, the voice cast is perfectly... Er... cast, the script is funny and self knowing and there is a bit of social commentary for the adults in the audience, all about the effect that the construction of the freeways had on the livelihood's of thousands of small towns across the U.S.A. (Funnily enough, when we got back to the house "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" was on Sky Movies, and that has a whole subplot about the nefarious scheme of the villain to build a freeway straight through Toontown. I seem to remember that "L. A. Confidential" also mentions the construction of the freeways as a bad turning point in the development of Los Angeles. Do American's think of the freeways as a scar on the American psyche? I'd be interested in anybody's comment on that.)
"Cars" is quite a long film for kids (nearly two hours), but I was not bored, and the gang of small children in the row ahead of us were all entranced. You can't ask for much more from a kids film.
# posted by Pynchon @ 9:48 pm 
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I thought "Cars" was long and boring. Maddie was fairly entertained - bright talking cars - but I thought it was laboured, slow and ultimately unfulfilling. Not a patch on some of those other similar efforts...
(although "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" is *genius*)
(although "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" is *genius*)
To answer your question: "Do American's think of the freeways as a scar on the American psyche?"...
I'm not so sure it's as much about scarred psyche, as it is that - for whatever reason - American freeways seem to bring out the worst in people. All people. Even the normally good, kind and generous folks seem to morph into agressive, territorial, beligerant monsters once on them. I wonder at and marvel at this phenomenon each time I observe it (even, I'm saddened to say, in myself!)
Anyway - that's this American's humble opinion.
I'm not so sure it's as much about scarred psyche, as it is that - for whatever reason - American freeways seem to bring out the worst in people. All people. Even the normally good, kind and generous folks seem to morph into agressive, territorial, beligerant monsters once on them. I wonder at and marvel at this phenomenon each time I observe it (even, I'm saddened to say, in myself!)
Anyway - that's this American's humble opinion.
I'll weigh in on the freeway question. It is true about road rage -- although I see it on regular roads as much as on the interstates. However, before we had the interstate system, it was difficult to travel very far from home, leading to greater isolation. And I don't think that was such a good thing. Although the freeway system may have led indirectly to the death of certain regionalisms -- as a Southern girl, I'm well aware of how we are more like the rest of the country now than we used to be, like when my parents were growing up. So there is some sorrow there, but it's good to be able to visit friends and family who live far away. And to actually have the opportunity to live far away from your upbringing (says the girl who moved back to her hometown this spring!).
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