1. It's long.2. Interesting concept and loved the short story, but the short story remains interesting and short unlike the film.
3. Favorite moments:
- Tilda Swinton's fling with Benjamin. There was an actual connection between the two characters that wasn't developed in the main love story, probably because they actually spoke together.
- Hot bearded twins on Captain Mike's ship. Seriously, I think they're twins in real life.
- Younger playboy Brad Pitt montage. Good because 1. he's attractive and 2. quick pacing.
- Update: Lightning guy.
5. Cate Blanchett's character was insufferable, mostly because I couldn't figure out why she was there. Yeah, this was supposed to be some epic love story, but within this gimmicky context I have no idea what the attraction is between Daisy and Benjamin. My lousy suggestions: the screenwriter should have either chosen gimmicky concept and just done quick vignettes throughout his life (like the short story), or had no gimmick and just done a decades long love story.
6. I like comparing movies and Forrest Gump succeeds at keeping your interest through the whole film, maybe because it acknowledges the time period beyond music and costuming.
7. It seemed like there were anachronistic attitudes toward casual sex which took me out of the aimed time period (early 20th Centurdy). I really just wanted to know how no one had syphilis.
8. How was the screenplay written? It has so much of everything it gets bogged down. There are fun moments (like I mentioned before), but then things slow down and all I really wanted was for the movie to end. Someone needed to go through this screen play one more time...or 12. I'm going to keep going back to my Casino post, but biopics are so hard to keep interesting and engaging.
9. What was with The Bridges of Madison County modern day journal-reading by a daughter? Madison County creeped me out enough (who wants to know about their parent's sex life?), but assuming everything we see in the film is written in Benjamin's journal/memoir, I feel sorry for the daughter reading that to her mom. Also, could have done without that story line.
To summarize: visually lovely, but had waaaaaay too much crammed into one movie. Pick a theme please!
I would like to add that some of the music that the black community in New Orleans sang made my folk music soul happy, especially when I knew the words.
ReplyDeleteDamn this movie was long. So. Long.
ReplyDeleteWhat about Hurricane Katrina? Doesn't that add a nice element to the story?
ReplyDeleteI mean, isn't it essentially saying:
"You know, it doesn't matter what happened to these people in the 1930s because once this storm makes landfall they are all screwed."