possiblyatrout

This reminds me more of Idiocracy or that god awful Super Mario Bros movie rather than Gilliam's previous work. Contains none of the claustrophobia of Brazil or the existential dread of 12 Monkeys (although it tries). It tries to tackle weighty issues but does so in such a tired and clumsy manner - the first shot of Christoph Waltz is against the backdrop of a Jesus Christ mural - that nothing interesting ends up illuminated. Even the trademark Gilliam weirdness feels stale. Kind of a mess. Disappointed, because the premise was intriguing.

There's no better way to spend a Sunday evening then watching Toshiro Mifune run around being a crazy person for two hours.

This film does capture something interesting about feudal Japan (and other ancient societies), about people's belief in the prophecies or even direct intervention of spirits on events and lives. And also the human tendency to self-fulfill such prophecies, especially if they favor us. Which then asks the question of who is responsible for the course of our lives. And on and on and on.

A pretty good Macbeth interpretation. Not my favorite Kurosawa Shakespeare adaptation (that goes to Ran) but still a darn fun movie. Delicious! And Toshiro Mifune is, as always, in his two modes: on the verge of exploding, and exploding. And I wouldn't have him any other way.

There is no plot and very little dialogue. Right off, that turns most people off. But it shouldn't. It's a movie that asks its viewers to surrender to the poetic experience, but the rewards are worth it. It focuses on the aesthetic nature of love, how it looks, how it sounds, how it tastes, how it smells, how it feels, rather than the why or the how. Characters fade in and fade out of the narrative like wisps. Most of the talking comes from the characters narrating what sounds like poetry about love, musings about each other, and bitter resignations of their state. To the Wonder captures the mood of love.

The most transfixing feature about this film is its use of light. Most scenes take place during the day or at dusk and natural light floods the screen. The dances of the silhouettes and light are truly something to behold and appreciate. Terrence Malick is able to harness it in order to enhance the aesthetic quality and themes of his art. Another recurring motif is the use of hands to express emotion. The cinematography will often focus on how the hands rather than the faces, the expressions and the gestures. It is an art film; if it is not approached any other way, you will find something immensely pleasing about To the Wonder.