Recent Movie Report, vol. 5
Jul 27th, 2008 by Micah Tillman | 3 Comments |
[ Vol. 1 | Vol. 2 | Vol. 3 | Vol. 4 | Vol. 5 | Etc. ]
Well-done thriller. Creates a lot of mystery through its limitation to the viewpoint of a single hand-held camera. (And you know how I feel about mystery.)
The character operating the camera through most of the movie is annoying — but he’s a type. There are people in the world like him. (So it’s not like Jar-Jar, for those of you whom Jar-Jar bothers.)
I can see why it would be completely worthwhile to do a Cloverfield 2 (and 3 and 4) from other points of view (especially the soldiers’). This movie simply leaves too many questions unanswered.
Leaves the imagination free to roam (again, mystery/beauty!) but . . . . I can’t help wanting to be let in on all the secrets.
The movie, surprisingly, has flashbacks. I’m not sure I buy how they are “pulled off” by the writer (Drew Goddard), but it’s clever, nonetheless.
Lots of great music. Ron Howard visually reminds me to a disturbing degree of my mid-teen self. Richard Dreyfuss already sounds/acts like he’s old. (I don’t think he’s ever changed internally; it’s just the outside that ages).
As I’ve said before, George Lucas is at his best when the writing isn’t left up to him alone. And AG proves it once again.
Plenty of mystery in this one too. So many unanswered questions and loose ends. The kind of thing people must write scholarly analyses of in college.
Despite the fact that there can be so many loose ends because the story is really a dozen stories all happening and interacting over the course of one night, the connection via the radio (and the space/culture [spatial culture?]: cars, a restaurant, roads, a school ‘hop’, etc. [people always seem to be bumping into each other, again and again]) is fascinating.
I do use radio, internet, and television to keep myself from feeling claustrophobic (cf. my post on why people like famous people). That’s a little different than feeling connected though.
Interesting . . . .
I’ve met Richard Dreyfuss and he certainly DOESN’T sound or act old. Of COURSE he looks a lot older than he did in American Grafitti - he was quite young then.
But he’s young at heart.
Thanks Helen. I just meant that even at that young an age, he already acted/spoke/had the voice of someone more mature/adult/older.
I think I’m having a hard time expressing what it was that struck me about it, though.
That’s fair. He was the most mature one of that bunch! He was certainly playing someone much younger than he was, though.
I just didn’t want people thinking that just cos there’s snow on the roof, these days, the fire had gone out inside - so not true!