vatsimmons
Joined Aug 2020
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Reviews6
vatsimmons's rating
Here are my issues right away:
1. The film lacks polish. The cinematography in particular felt very cheap, i.e. Not cinematic. The bit players/minor characters seem untrained. But that's likely an issue with direction.
2. Tiffany Haddish is miscast - though this doesn't make or break the film.
3. There are a number (read: many) of misguided music cues throughout. This movie didn't need much music at all.
4. I think the crew was trying to make something sleek and trendy for 2021, but still grounded like a 90s character study. You could tell Scorsese was involved, but not TOO involved. If Scorsese directs this, it's a classic.
That being said, The Card Counter does a number of things right. Oscar Isaac is predictably sturdy. The tone of the film is evocative and absorbing throughout; it definitely gets under your skin. I appreciated the military tie-in as well.
There are definitely traces of what I'd consider "high cinema" here, they're just not substantiated by anything meaningful (no ethos). The film particularly succeeds at set up and payoff. It also reminded me of 2011's "Drive" - one of my all time top 5, so that'll definitely get it an extra half or full star.
Given my appreciation for film as an art form, I definitely can't call this movie "bad". I respect the craftsmanship, it's just standard.
1. The film lacks polish. The cinematography in particular felt very cheap, i.e. Not cinematic. The bit players/minor characters seem untrained. But that's likely an issue with direction.
2. Tiffany Haddish is miscast - though this doesn't make or break the film.
3. There are a number (read: many) of misguided music cues throughout. This movie didn't need much music at all.
4. I think the crew was trying to make something sleek and trendy for 2021, but still grounded like a 90s character study. You could tell Scorsese was involved, but not TOO involved. If Scorsese directs this, it's a classic.
That being said, The Card Counter does a number of things right. Oscar Isaac is predictably sturdy. The tone of the film is evocative and absorbing throughout; it definitely gets under your skin. I appreciated the military tie-in as well.
There are definitely traces of what I'd consider "high cinema" here, they're just not substantiated by anything meaningful (no ethos). The film particularly succeeds at set up and payoff. It also reminded me of 2011's "Drive" - one of my all time top 5, so that'll definitely get it an extra half or full star.
Given my appreciation for film as an art form, I definitely can't call this movie "bad". I respect the craftsmanship, it's just standard.
First I want to give props to everyone involved in the film. Two people literally doing nothing but arguing is a tough sell (especially at 1hr 45 min) but I watched it through, and found myself engaged and entertained through a good chunk of it. The same reasons I enjoyed this movie will be the same others dislike it:
1. It's pretentious
This is a very wordy film. If you don't have an extensive vocabulary, you will feel insulted. While I admit that the verbiage is overdone more than once, Levinson's screenplay lets you know that Malcolm & Marie is for art house lovers, aka "real movies". And I appreciate that.
M&M is also shot in Black & White (a beautiful choice, but still very pretentious). The cinematography is beautiful.
2. The acting
John David Washington & Zendaya both killed it based on what they were given (see above point about the screenplay). I expect an Oscar nomination for Zendaya, and at least a Golden Globe nod for Washington, depends on how crowded the field is.
3. Sam Levinson's style
As a fan of Euphoria, I was happy to see Zendaya and Labrinth coming into the fold with Sam. As expected, the movie is sleek with a great soundtrack and editing.
Even with all those positives, this movie isn't about much, so I'll go with a 7. Expect some Oscar nods though.
1. It's pretentious
This is a very wordy film. If you don't have an extensive vocabulary, you will feel insulted. While I admit that the verbiage is overdone more than once, Levinson's screenplay lets you know that Malcolm & Marie is for art house lovers, aka "real movies". And I appreciate that.
M&M is also shot in Black & White (a beautiful choice, but still very pretentious). The cinematography is beautiful.
2. The acting
John David Washington & Zendaya both killed it based on what they were given (see above point about the screenplay). I expect an Oscar nomination for Zendaya, and at least a Golden Globe nod for Washington, depends on how crowded the field is.
3. Sam Levinson's style
As a fan of Euphoria, I was happy to see Zendaya and Labrinth coming into the fold with Sam. As expected, the movie is sleek with a great soundtrack and editing.
Even with all those positives, this movie isn't about much, so I'll go with a 7. Expect some Oscar nods though.