I guess I'm the only one…
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waddayanuts — 16 years ago(August 21, 2009 08:46 AM)
Noirs like "The Maltese Falcon", "The Big Sleep", "Black Dahlia", "The Big Lebowski" and "A Scanner Darkly" are, in the long run, much more interesting than more action oriented fare like "La Confidential". With plots so dense they verge on annoying, these are the noirs which reward repeat viewings and tend to age best.
I mostly agree but I wouldn't include A Scanner Darkly. The plot is quite simple when you think it over. Thus, I was surprised that your entire review of it deals with the plot.
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Spoilers follow
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To me, it isn't the plot that makes the film interesting. It's just a pretty forgettable plot with a twist in the end.
The interesting aspects is how Linklater in his typical fashion shows the environment and the public feeling by merely showing a little group of people talking together about nothing. The film is packed with those seemingly irrelevant astrays from the plot. Like the scene with the bicycle. It's a brilliant scene which exaggerates the general paranoia that must exist in a surveillance society. And the plot is only interesting in that perspective, I think. It basically tells us that the government is feeding the citizens with a drug that makes them paranoid as an excuse of doing extreme 24/7 surveillance, which also makes people paranoid. On both levels this film is about paranoia in a government-controlled society and that's exactly what Linklater so efficiently shows with all the talkative scenes that aren't related to the plot.
The Dude abides -
PhantomPhan222 — 16 years ago(October 07, 2009 02:53 PM)
"How many movies do we need where the "fatherly boss" is actually the "secret bad guy"? "Monster's Inc", "The Fugitive", "La Confidential", "Minority Report" etc etc, it's all the same thing."
Yeah but remember that aside from 'The Fugitive', 'L.A. Confidential' came before all those other movies. And the novel which had the self-same plot twist, came before any of those movies.
"People always sing 'Part of Your World' at auditions that's why I only know one lyric." -
hdervic — 16 years ago(July 15, 2009 10:35 AM)
I liked it. My only criticism doesn't concern the movie itself, but De Palma's choice to follow the fictional Black Dahlia novel's conclusion. I would rather he left the audience suspended at the end. Maybe bringing us close to several possible endings, but leaving us guessing and consumed. Kinda like what really happened. If any film maker is capable of pulling out before a climax it is De Palma. Otherwise, I quite enjoyed the movie. Fiona Shaw steals her scenes with aplomb. I had to rewind and watch the dinner scene twice! She rocks!
Stanislacker -
Kashtaristhereaper — 16 years ago(July 28, 2009 06:12 PM)
I enjoyed the film. I watched it as the conclusion of my Noir trilogy. Sin City, Twilight (the good one with paul newman) and this rock. there ought to be a box set, if it weren't different studios.
"I did it thirty-five minutes ago."
Watchmen
I AM ONLY LIVING OUT A LIE!!! -
rob-hymer — 16 years ago(August 18, 2009 12:19 PM)
You're not the only one. I was quite impressed with how close to the original source material the film was. OK, so none of the characters were attractive - It's based on a James Ellroy book, an author for who there are no good guys, only levels of damaged. It captures the nihilism and moral ambivalence better than I'd given a Hollywood film credit for, and even though (having read the book) I knew the ending, a good cast kept the suspense throughout.
I can see this one being reappraised as a lost classic in ten years time - and not as 'pure torture porn' as some mentalist put it. -
Nephilim-6 — 16 years ago(September 15, 2009 04:53 PM)
Just saw this. I read the negative reviews and I was hoping for a serious thriller before I started watching BUT I got a really cool film noir-ish 90's style comic book type of movie.
After about half an hour I gave up on realism and the thing just worked for me.
Did you ever notice that people who believe in creationism look really un-evolved? - Bill Hicks -
forksforrests — 15 years ago(June 09, 2010 02:59 AM)
I enjoyed it. Although it was very bizarre at times, but's something I could watch again. It was complex and visually perfect. Good movie, and I would ive it more than the 5/10 it got on this site.
Josh Hartnett wasn't that great in his rolebut whatever.
"Contempt loves the silence, it thrives in the dark" -Merchant -
yahko_kun — 15 years ago(March 02, 2011 08:13 PM)
I liked and I think the reason is I never expected anything from it. When I saw back in 2006 when it came out I never knew who Brian DePalma was, I "saw" scarface years before to even understand whats what. I saw the Untouchables was later.
Did it feel noir to me - absolutely. I think this was the reason I like that film. I actually watched it in the same week as I watched Hollywoodland. The acting maybe was over done in some parts and too pushed. The story line might have made no sense to some people - but then again it was Brian's interpretation of that murder case. I liked it more than I liked Untouchables. -
rabit818 — 14 years ago(October 04, 2011 10:04 AM)
You are not alone. The minute Scarlett Johanssen entered the frame, I was hooked. Hilary Swank camped it up - another good thing. For those who did not get it, too bad. For people comparing Black Dahlia with Scarface, two different creatures. It is like comparing Please, Please Me with Sgt. Pepper's LHCB, totally two different animals. It is film noir going through De Palma's filter and it is a good thing.
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dalldorfw — 12 years ago(December 17, 2013 04:56 PM)
This is a damn good movie; a few mild flaws here and there, but great and memorable flick overall! The ending is haunting and I love how it plays like a 40's film-noir with a modern edge. I also like the blend of fact and fiction; the two are mixed just about perfectly! All the criticisms I've seen so far just seem like a bunch of meaningless nip-picks that are thrown out there because, evidently, it's a sin to like any de Palma movie that isn't 'Scarface'.
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PterryFan — 12 years ago(February 25, 2014 11:45 AM)
I enjoyed it, a good movie though not a great one .
Not as good as L.A.confidential .
And yes the plot was very confusing.
Nitpicks,Bucky was too "pretty" to be convincing as a boxer or even a cop, and his non stop anger got very boring .