Bad Acting and directing
-
crowdkiller — 17 years ago(April 15, 2008 07:03 PM)
Can't complain about the direction I thought the film looked wonderful but I agree about the acting it was very poor and forced. And the lack of acting 'chops' on the main child actor made the ending quite comical I actually chuckled at his screaming. I think it was a good story just badly executed a poor man's Terence Malick film.
"Put Your Pants On Boy" -
leonie — 17 years ago(May 05, 2008 12:58 AM)
i don't know whether i'd say the ending is clichedthough i find the entire film to be, in some ways, a bad rip off of schlondorff's the tin drumbut it certainly is terribly acted and directed. i am frankly amazed at the raves that the young lead getsi find him to be alternately wooden and shrill.
i saw this film when it was first releasedand i'm ashamed to say that my twenty-year old inner film critic enjoyed itbut i picked up a copy recently, rewatched it, and was amazed at how poorly done i thought it was. it was a bad imitation of a david lynch or a terence malick film.
throwing a bunch of 'creepy' or 'unusual' setpieces together in a movie doesn't mean it's going to be done well, and this movie is a prime example of that. i give it a two of ten for some nice cinematography, but it's a poorly done film."It's better not to know so much about what things mean." David Lynch
-
Im_satisfied — 17 years ago(July 22, 2008 01:34 PM)
It has been ages since I've seen
so I can't comment on the cliche. But I too, was not impressed by this movie.
This whole movie was like a candle in the wind, endlessly flickering. Erratic at best. script, acting, directing, erratic quality and nothing more.
The best thing it could offer were a few nice shots.
It's surprising that despite the many disturbing and tragic elements it had, it wasn't creepy or disturbing or sad at all. The last scene? I'm glad to find out I wasn't the only one who chuckled:) -
vidlyvid — 17 years ago(October 26, 2008 08:43 PM)
I rented this bc it was on the Recommended By Our Staff shelf along w The Celebration and Heavenly Creatures. Big mistake. Viggo Mortensen isn't half bad, though. Maybe it's just his hotness, but I thought his scenes were much more compelling in general than those of some of the other actors. It may have been the realism of his particular storyline, in contrast to some of the bloated acting/hysteria from the rest of the boy's family. And the last scene? I have to say, I laughed too - I couldn't help it! It practically defines cliche - a child falling to his knees and screaming with grief? Throw in a sunset and some dirt falling through some fingers, and some heavy orchestration, and wellit's kind of a recipe for chuckles.
-
doviine — 17 years ago(December 04, 2008 12:48 PM)
I love this movie. I thought the acting was superb every scene perfect.
I don't think it's anything like David Lynch at all. It is it's own genre - symbolist, and heady. The themes are underground, complex and dark, yet right out there in the open for all to see all who can see - within (the characters) the film and without (us, the audience).
It is a difficult film to "get." That's the way it should be.. and those child actors, for the year in which the film was made, and the period in which it was set,did an excellent job - timeless.
It is tragic and beautiful - innocence and loss - interwoven, and the answers are
not easy to come by, just like life.
As for the ending - primal. -
lachrymologist — 14 years ago(May 04, 2011 11:26 PM)
The acting is god awful. The crazy british lady, the child's father, and the mother are the least bad, but the young children are incredibly bad. Since the director yells cut and decides when he has a bad take, some of the onus comes down squarely on him. I must say that my least favorite element thus far is the music. Far too over-dramatic. This isn't Gone With the Wind, it's supposed to be difficult and disturbing, right? I mean, at least that's how the subject matter makes it seem. Instead, it is corny and far too "inspirational" sounding.
I feel like I'm being bludgeoned scene-by-scene as to how to feel about this movie.
The scene where the police officer talks about the gay, molesting father is just painful to watch. I don't believe either of the parents' acting abilities. Do you remember that really bad, old Stallone movie.. yeah.. what was it called.. umm.. OVER THE TOP.
The police chief is introduced first by his fake hand appearing on a close-up of the boy as an effort to shock us. The dramatic camera movements serve only to sensationalize. Loud gong hits when dramatic things happen? Gratuitous 'sensual' make out scene by two people who have no connection?? -
WarpedRecord — 17 years ago(March 09, 2009 10:05 PM)
This film had some excellent ideas, but ultimately they didn't go anywhere.
I agree that much of the acting was distractingly bad particularly the parents and the boy's friend.
But I did think much of the direction was remarkable. Clearly the director was influenced by Ingmar Bergman, and though this is a weak attempt at that style the film is beautiful in spots. I just wish it wasn't so self-conscious in going out of its way to shock or provoke and instead just let the story flow a bit more smoothly.
7 out of 10 stars for me. -
TheDoomSong — 17 years ago(April 01, 2009 04:19 PM)
I can't tell about the directing for sure, but the acting ruined the visually beautiful movie. Cinematography and music are amazing, but the acting is beyond terrible. You can almost see the kid actor reading the lines from a cue card that's been held for him. Everything he says and does feels forced and false. His friends are just as bad if not worse. Usually I'm a sucker for visual craftsmanship, but it's unbearable to sit through this movie. Maybe I should try the german or spanish dubbed version.
"You and me we are fckin done, professionally!" -
yfguitarist — 14 years ago(August 25, 2011 11:20 PM)
Wholeheartedly agree. This film was absolutely ridiculous and hilariously over-the-top. The reviews claiming it to be a masterpiece are so pretentious. I wanted to like the film but the acting and directing were some of the worst I've seen.
-
lachrymologist — 14 years ago(January 09, 2012 08:57 AM)
Right, not a mainstream film from a 'distinguished' writer/director. Duh? But the acting and directing were both horrible. The child actor is wooden and terrible and the directing is adequate at best. His corny camera/establishing shot ideas made me want to vomit. Just because the guy is heralded in some circles doesn't mean he is actually any good. The writing and directing WERE rather bad.
If you romanticize your mundane past and think your hackneyed nostalgia rises to the level of mythology, and have seen few arthouse and experimental films, I could see the appeal of this film. 15 minutes of any Altman, Bergman, Bunuel, the Coens, or Chabrol film(should I keep listing? these are directors whose last name start with A-C) participate in the tropes and surpass the pathos of anything Ridley could dream of doing. Not to say that lesser directors aren't worth sitting through, but a film like this juxtaposes some very important elements of society that have yet to be discussed in depth (child molestation/family secrets/demons/regional concerns) and renders them all pointless by dealing with them so superficially and artlessly. M and Festen (hell, even sleepers and the woodsman) make this movie seem like drivel. And it is. -
AssetsonFire — 13 years ago(August 11, 2012 10:55 PM)
I agree. Mortensen was above the material and the kid at best adequate, it's rare that you see a film with such uniformly hammy acting. As for writing-directing, there was no sense of what the film was supposed to be, just some aborted ('scuse the pun) hints at societal stagnation in a pretty setting, although it desperately wanted to be
about
something. Little surprise, then, when the film climaxes with a kid grasping at earth beside a setting sun while feebly screaming "aaaaaggggghhhhh!", that pretty much epitomises the film's message.
Dishonorable mention to the noisy, self-important score butting in whenever a point was trying to be made.
Oh whisky, leave me alone.