steventong

This movie is a joyride to experience the not-so-joyful process of filmmaking as well as a good homage to the legend and one of the greatest times in cinema history. I think it's done so perfectly that I almost give it 5 stars.

Linklater's signature mise-en-scène is here, but this film feels less personal and more intimately observational. I went in expecting a Midnight in Paris vibe, and I couldn't have been more wrong. I'm struck by Linklater's choice of a new approach, especially from a director known for an almost obsessive realism-like shooting Boyhood over 12 years or Merrily We Roll Along for two decades. Zoey Deutch, who plays Jean Seberg, told us that Linklater encouraged the actors to interpret rather than impersonate. The result is a film that feels remarkably authentic and free, because it all comes from the genuine experiences of the crew. As Linklater himself said, "It's about a bunch of young people making a film." This is a movie that any filmmaker or cinephile will absolutely adore.

(There is a line from the movie that I really LOVE and it goes like this - "when you direct a film, you are actually making 5 films: one when you write it, one when you cast it, one when you shoot it, one when you release it." The closest thing I found is from Robert Bresson: "A film is born three times. First in the writing of the script, then in the shooting, and finally in the editing". I need to print it out and put it above my desk.)