Loving scifi movies I was really looking forward to "Elysium". The synopsis sounded interesting, it had great actors in it and the style looked interesting enough. Unfortunately the movie didn't manage to keep what it promised.
Jodie Foster and Matt Damon do a good job with what they are given but unfortunately this isn't much.
The story always remains flat, barely more than a synopsis. Too many questions are left unanswered for it to be really captivating. It also shares a lot of similarities with Colin Farrell's "Total Recall", such as the deeply divided society with extremely opposed living conditions for the poor and the rich, villains having legitimate power and desperate lead characters who are pushed into the situation by circumstances beyond their own control. The two main characters even have the same job (working in a factory for roboter policemen). While I felt well entertained by "Total Recall" I didn't by "Elysium".
Jodie Foster's villain is convincing and scary in a realistic way, as you can imagine politicians in the future making such decisions. Unfortunately she never gets to interact with Matt Damon's character and her final curtain is spectacularly unspectacular.
Matt Damon has proven with the Bourne-series already that he is a capable action star and he doesn't disappoint in that respect. Unfortunately he doesn't get the chance to do much more in this movie.
None of the characters is introduced in depth, so that their fate doesn't move the viewer and many chances are not pursued by the story such as the possibility of him being the father of the little girl.
Despite being a scifi movie it lacked the futuristic feeling one would expect. The "rich world" is never shown in details and remains distant. The plotholes are downright annoying, especially to me as a writer who is always focusing on the details and making everything plausible.
Points 4/10
Saturday, August 31, 2013
#11 - A Place beyond the Pines (07/15/2013)
This movie was probably the most intriguing movie I have seen this year, although at first I didn't like it. The reason for this wasn't the movie itself, but my expectations. Without spoiling anything I can tell that the advertising of the movie was giving the wrong impression about what the movie truely is and therefore deceptive.
While the advertising left me under the impression that this movie was an average but good crime thriller it is in reality so much more that makes bold artistic decisions.
Ryan Gosling proves, why he is one of the top actors of his generation. His protrayal of "Luke" in this movie manages to gain sympathies for a character the otherwise would be considered a villain or simply just annoying. Yet the viewer manages to see Luke's softer and kind side as he tries to do the right thing, despite choosing the wrong path. We get an idea of the man he could have become had his life started differently and this is what makes him likable.
On the other side we have Bradley Cooper as "Avery", who with this movie shows that his great performance in "Silver Linings Playbook" was by no means a one-off thing. Actually I think he is even better in "A Place beyond the Pine", as he manages to develop his character with very little screen time and Avery's transformation feels genuine and this makes it all more shocking to the viewer.
The only down side is occasionally the writing. The story overall is great but sometimes the characters' decisions are not logical or at least incomprehensible. These are however minor issues that can be forgiven.
Sometimes the pace is a little slow but this is neccessary for the unique atmosphere of the movie. There are a lot of scenes without dialogue and the situations we observe the characters in are so personal, that one feels ocasionallly like a voyeur instead of a viewer.
If you look for a fast paced action thriller, this is not the movie you should watch. On the other hand if you want to see a movie full of fresh ideas and with a unique atmosphere you won't be disappointed watching "A Place beyond the Pines". The movie isn't perfect but it deserves a special credit for the risks it takes and its new ideas, especially in a time when the market is flodded with dozens of pointless remakes.
Points 8/10
While the advertising left me under the impression that this movie was an average but good crime thriller it is in reality so much more that makes bold artistic decisions.
Ryan Gosling proves, why he is one of the top actors of his generation. His protrayal of "Luke" in this movie manages to gain sympathies for a character the otherwise would be considered a villain or simply just annoying. Yet the viewer manages to see Luke's softer and kind side as he tries to do the right thing, despite choosing the wrong path. We get an idea of the man he could have become had his life started differently and this is what makes him likable.
On the other side we have Bradley Cooper as "Avery", who with this movie shows that his great performance in "Silver Linings Playbook" was by no means a one-off thing. Actually I think he is even better in "A Place beyond the Pine", as he manages to develop his character with very little screen time and Avery's transformation feels genuine and this makes it all more shocking to the viewer.
The only down side is occasionally the writing. The story overall is great but sometimes the characters' decisions are not logical or at least incomprehensible. These are however minor issues that can be forgiven.
Sometimes the pace is a little slow but this is neccessary for the unique atmosphere of the movie. There are a lot of scenes without dialogue and the situations we observe the characters in are so personal, that one feels ocasionallly like a voyeur instead of a viewer.
If you look for a fast paced action thriller, this is not the movie you should watch. On the other hand if you want to see a movie full of fresh ideas and with a unique atmosphere you won't be disappointed watching "A Place beyond the Pines". The movie isn't perfect but it deserves a special credit for the risks it takes and its new ideas, especially in a time when the market is flodded with dozens of pointless remakes.
Points 8/10
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