antonjarrod
Joined Jan 2011
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antonjarrod's rating
Leigh explores the ordinary, the common and the universal in a subtle, gentle way. Dealing with complex but familiar themes of growing old, happiness and, of course, the dynamics of human relationships in the heart of the machine of life, but doing so in such a way as to neither treat them superficially nor blatantly, nor too reservedly, we are carried through the film like a leaf on the wind, with no particular direction but with a movement and purpose all of its own.
Neither the directing style, the script, nor the acting pander to what might be called the contemporary Hollywood-style film expectations. Long scenes with simple dialogue delivered in a relaxed, natural 'armchair' way, a viewer expecting clichés of action or plot would be disappointed.
A visit to the world as it is seen by Mike Leigh is at once familiar but also a little disconcerting. Sometimes we go to the movies to escape into a fantasy world, to get lost in the illusions of theatre, but with Mike Leigh this is not so easy: one leaves with the sense of having not having stepped out of the world but into it, just as it is. We almost do not wish to see that the life we see on the screen is close, perhaps too close.
Neither the directing style, the script, nor the acting pander to what might be called the contemporary Hollywood-style film expectations. Long scenes with simple dialogue delivered in a relaxed, natural 'armchair' way, a viewer expecting clichés of action or plot would be disappointed.
A visit to the world as it is seen by Mike Leigh is at once familiar but also a little disconcerting. Sometimes we go to the movies to escape into a fantasy world, to get lost in the illusions of theatre, but with Mike Leigh this is not so easy: one leaves with the sense of having not having stepped out of the world but into it, just as it is. We almost do not wish to see that the life we see on the screen is close, perhaps too close.
Badly acted, with a sense of a lack of direction, the only saving grace for this film are the wonderful settings and the score.
One would not recommend this movie to anyone other than fans of 'early Grant and Hurley', but one wonders how many of them there are!
The script is the biggest hurdle. While it contains wonderful references and allusions to the most interesting lines spoken by the historical personages, and does indeed contain some of the words of the poets, the script fills padded out with unnecessary archaisms at best and drivel at worst.
What is most strikingly dull about the work is the character of the monster. Whilst the monotony of the voice is supposed to give us certain Gothic impressions, we are left in fact with only a sense of horror at the poor delivery and rather senseless decision to characterize death and foreboding in this way.
One would not recommend this movie to anyone other than fans of 'early Grant and Hurley', but one wonders how many of them there are!
The script is the biggest hurdle. While it contains wonderful references and allusions to the most interesting lines spoken by the historical personages, and does indeed contain some of the words of the poets, the script fills padded out with unnecessary archaisms at best and drivel at worst.
What is most strikingly dull about the work is the character of the monster. Whilst the monotony of the voice is supposed to give us certain Gothic impressions, we are left in fact with only a sense of horror at the poor delivery and rather senseless decision to characterize death and foreboding in this way.